Australian Gabriello White and his girlfriend have been in Ho Chi Minh City for a few days and like most travellers, Bui Vien pedestrian street – dubbed "Saigon West Street - is on their list of places to visit.

As attractive as it is, to most foreign visitors Bui Vien Street is just a place to drink beer and relax. Although the Ho Chi Minh City tourism industry has organized traditional music and art shows here, they haven’t really gone down well.

Lack of products and services for night time tourism lead to limited revenue. Currently, the average spending per day of visitors to Vietnam is just over half of that of Thailand, which is mainly for accommodation and dining. The purchase of goods, souvenirs, sightseeing and entertainment account for only 20%. Bui Vien Pedestrian Street is still the first name that comes to mind.

According to experts, revenue from tourism products and services only accounts for 30% during the day, the remaining 70% is spent at night. Promoting night time tourism will not only earn more revenue but also increase the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam who have a huge demand for nightlife./.VNA