The Saigontourist Corporation decided to equitize Saigontourist Transportation Unit (i.e. to transform it into the Saigontourist Transportation Joint Stock Company) in 2005 opening a new development page in its history.

For over 30 years the company has involved in transportation and tourism. It organizes all-in conferences and inbound and outbound tours, transports passengers using taxis and cars, trains workers and drivers, trading in and repairing autos, imports and exports goods. These businesses have actually supported each other in order to achieve an overall growth.
During the years implementing the equitization decision, the company has renewed management and the organizational structure opening a new development phase. Soon after the company was equitized, revenue of its Vocational Training Center increased 92 percent against before equitization and number of learners increased significantly. To increase taxi transportation competitiveness, the company bought over 150 Vios and Zace cars at a total cost of US$2.5 million in June and July 2005. The company taxi drivers are professional and helpful.
Regarding tourist transportation, the company has invested to purchase the Mercedes Sprinter to improve service quality and keep up with tourist demand. In addition, it has associated with big hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, such as Park Hyatt, Sheraton, New World, to transport tourists. Particularly, the company made an active part in providing services for SEAGames 22. The company has gained a high reputation for effective organization of all-in conferences and seminars following national and international contracts such as the HIV prevention conference held by the Ministry of Health in Nha Trang in August 2005. Moreover, it has been acknowledged as a reputable inbound and outbound tour operator. The company guided an average of over 15,000 domestic and international tourists each year emphasizing service quality. In March 2006, the People’s Committee of Phu Quoc district, Kien Giang province, gave the company 9.56ha of coastal land with an over 300m-long beach in the Truong Beach area, in order for the company to construct a five-star resort on Phu Quoc Island.
As part of its international integration plan, the company will in the short term become the first in Vietnam to adhere to Radius, which is the third largest travel group in the world, with over 100 agents and 6,000 branches in 80 countries. The success is partially attributed to the Board of Directors who have take great interest in standardizing and reorganizing personnel, developing young human resources and retraining employees with a sense of professionalism, dynamism and creativeness.
Youth forums have also been initiated to honor role models and national heroes and to foster work spirit. Regarding trademark, the company has built its logo, which expresses its ambition to thrive.
The company has also enhanced marketing, continued applying the ISO 9001 quality management system to ensure international-standard service quality and to improve the company’s trademark prestige deserving its business slogan, “Your Trust”. The company has been awarded the Vietnam Trademark Golden Cup and won the golden cups entitled, “For Social Progress and Sustainable Development” and “Enterprise of Culture”, in May 2006. The achievements so far have proved the company’s sound directions for equitization. Vietnam’s WTO accession is an opportunity for the Saigontourist Transportation Joint Stock Company to strengthen its position.

(Source: Vietnam Economic News Online)