HANOI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's southern hub Ho Chi Minh City welcomed nearly 20 million tourist arrivals in the first quarter of this year, local daily VnEconomy reported Wednesday, citing the municipal Department of Tourism.

Domestic visitors accounted for the majority, while international arrivals continued to recover strongly, contributing to tourism revenue growth and enhancing the city's image as a destination, the report said.

The city's tourism sector showed notable signs of recovery from the beginning of the year, with around 5.25 million arrivals recorded in January.

Growth further accelerated during the Lunar New Year holiday when the city received approximately 4.32 million arrivals during the nine-day break, according to the report.

The city aims to attract about 11 million international visitors and 50 million domestic travelers in 2026, with total tourism revenue projected at around 330 trillion Vietnamese dong (about 13.1 billion U.S. dollars). ■