He continued by saying Ho Chi Minh needed classier discos, clubs, pubs and cafés so there was something to cater to all tastes and nightlife was appropriate to the busy urban environment. He also noted that the city’s night entertainment venues needed to stay open longer as in most places everything had shut up shop by 24:00.
Bars on streets such as Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien in the city’s District 1 are mostly frequented by foreigners but there are several other areas that pull in a mixed clientele of night owls. The lack of 24/7 nightlife venues does not seem to be deterring tourists as visitor numbers between January and September of this year were 3.2 million.
Vietnam as a whole has lost favour with international tourists and in the 15-month period to July 2015, statistics show the number of visitors declined each month. Ha Van Sieu is a senior director with the national tourism bureau and claims one of the reasons for the reduction in visitors is that there are not enough nightlife options.
Ho Chi Minh City prepared to establish nightlife zones
News in Asia
The tourism bureau in Ho Chi Minh City says better options for nightlife are a must if the city wants to attract more international visitors. Tourism Department assistant-director La Quoc Khanh told reporters the city needs to set up designated nightlife zones where visitors can party 24/7 if they so wish.