This visit marks the first time the ship had used HCMC as an embarkation and disembarkation point on its routes, said Vo Anh Tai, Director of the Saigontourist Travel Company.

During their week-long stay in Vietnam, the German tourists are scheduled to join tours exploring HCMC and the Mekong Delta before visiting Halong Bay, a UNESCO-accredited world natural heritage site, as well as the nation’s capital, Hanoi.

From February 1 to 19, Saigontourist expects to welcome around 2,500 Chinese tourists, who are due to arrive on board the Costa Allegra.

During January 2009, the company received 6,000 foreign tourists by sea, representing a year-on-year increase of 30%