International arrivals to Vietnam surge in first two months

Foreign visitors at Hoi An ancient town of Quang Nam province (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam welcomed 49,200 foreign tourists in the first two months of 2022, representing a year-on-year surge of 71.7 percent, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported on February 28.

The majority of international holiday-makers arrived in Vietnam by air,  accounting for 87.8 percent of the total foreign arrivals, the office said.  

In February alone, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam increased by 49.6 percent month-on-month, and 196.6 percent compared to the same period last year.

The positive results were attributed to Vietnam’s pilot roadmap for re-opening its door to foreign tourists, and the resumption of international air routes.

The tourism industry is implementing the second phase of a pilot programme on welcoming international visitors, while making necessary preparations to fully open tourism activities from March 15.

This year, the sector is expected to serve 65 million holiday-makers, including 5 million foreigners, and earn 440 trillion VND (19.2 billion USD)./.