In Hoi An ancient town (Photo: vneconomy.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Foreign arrivals in Vietnam hit 1.2 million in August and topped 7.8 million in the first eight months of this year, nearing the target set for the whole year, reported the General Statistics Office on August 29.
However, it was only equivalent to 69.2% of that recorded in the same period of 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the period, the number of visitors to Vietnam via airway, roads and waterway accounted for 87.6%, 11.6% and 0.8%, respectively.
In August, the number of domestic tourists was estimated at 9.5 million, with about 6.3 million of them staying overnight. On an eight-month calculation, the figure hit 86 million.
The revenue from accommodation and food services reached 436.3 trillion VND (18.1 billion USD) during the eight months while that from travel services rose by 47% annually to 22.4 trillion VND, which was attributable to higher demand during the peak season. Localities have actively launched various stimulation activities after a long period impacted by the pandemic.
Easier visa procedures and extended length of stay for foreign visitors entering Vietnam are positive signs for the tourism sector, especially amid peak tourism season for foreign visitors.
According to experts, the sector must offer unique and appealing tourism products, popularise tourism in key markets in a more professional manner, improve workforce quality, better manage destinations to ensure their safety, and step up digital transformation in tourism activities./.
