On April 29, at the City Theater, Saigon Tourist Group organized the event "50 years of reaching out to the country" and the First-class Labor Medal Award Ceremony (2nd time).
The event was honored to welcome Ms. Vo Thi Anh Xuan - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam - along with leaders of Ho Chi Minh City, representatives of ministries, branches, domestic and foreign partners, many generations of leaders, officials, and employees of Saigontourist Group through the periods.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa - Chairwoman of the Member Council of Saigontourist Group - said that looking back at the half-century journey, the history of Saigontourist Group is a heroic chapter integrated into the rising history of the country and the nation. In 1975, from the early days after liberation, Saigontourist with 236 people, welcomed 1,689 visitors, earning only more than 2.5 million VND.
50 years later, Saigontourist Group has become an ecosystem with more than 100 member units, more than 17,000 employees, serving more than 2 million visitors, achieving revenue of 16,935 billion VND, profit of 4,353 billion VND and contributing 3,458 billion VND to the national budget.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, the message "Saigontourist Group - 50 years of reaching out to the country" is the red thread throughout that journey. "Reaching out" is breaking through the limits, from traditional models to international stature. "Together with the country" is putting the national mission above all else: that is the core value, the responsibility to develop tourism economy, make positive contributions to the budget, create tens of thousands of jobs, spread Vietnamese cultural identity, share with the community, bring the image of a beautiful Vietnam to international friends and bring the world closer to Vietnam.
At the ceremony, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan awarded the First-class Labor Medal to Saigontourist Group. Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee - also awarded the traditional flag to the unit.
Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong shared that over the past half century, Saigontourist Group has affirmed its role as a key state-owned enterprise, holding a core position in building Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry in a professional and integrated direction.
From the early days after liberation, the Corporation pioneered market expansion, improved service quality and made important contributions to the city budget. In particular, the unit is always at the forefront in preserving cultural identity through festivals and cuisine imbued with Vietnamese imprints. In which, the Nguyen Hue Flower Street project chaired by Saigontourist Group has become a typical cultural symbol every Tet holiday, contributing to spreading the humanistic values of a "city of gratitude".
