Foreign tourists to Lao Cai drop due to nCoV

Hanoi (VNA) – The number of international tourists visiting the northern border province of Lao Cai has dropped significantly due to the novel coronavirus (nCoV).

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the locality welcomed about 98,000 visitors during the seven-day Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, a drop of 8.4 percent year-on-year.

Of the total, 11,000 were foreigners, down 52.4 percent compared to the same period last year. The number of Chinese holidaymakers stood at only 2,000, down more than 80 percent year-on-year.

The provincial Party Committee, People’s Council and Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism have been coordinating closely with departments and agencies to prevent the spread of the disease.

The locality has also been monitoring the exit and entry of foreigners and Vietnamese nationals at international border gates.

Meanwhile, the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau lured nearly 148,000 tourists during the holiday, including 745 foreigners, who mainly flocked to Dat Mui, Khai Long and Hon Da Bac tourism areas, and the site dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh.

Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Hieu Hung said the locality will continue to optimise its potential and advantages to develop tourism sustainably in 2020./.