
Hanoi (VNA) - The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 48.8 percent decline in the number offoreign tourists visiting Vietnam in the first five months of the year, with thetotal standing at 3.73 million.
The GeneralStatistics Office (GSO) announced on May 29 that 72.9 percent of foreigntourists in the period were from Asia, with numbers from the region down 51.4percent year-on-year.
Falls were seen inalmost all major markets, such as China (down 57.2 percent), Malaysia (53.9percent), the Republic of Korea (53.4 percent), Japan (48.2 percent), France(47.5 percent), the UK (44.3 percent), and Russia (23.2 percent).
Conversely, thenumber of Cambodian tourists surged 118.3 percent.
Revenue fromtourism services in the period was estimated at 8.3 trillion VND (359 millionUSD), down 54.1 percent. Localities seeing significant declines in revenueinclude the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau (72.9 percent), south-centralKhanh Hoa province (68.2 percent), HCM City (66.1 percent), and northern QuangNinh province (65.4 percent).
Vietnam hassuspended granting visas to foreigners amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Most foreignvisitors currently in the country are experts and technicians.
The Ministry ofCulture, Sports and Tourism launched the “Vietnamese people travel in Vietnam” programmein early May to stimulate domestic tourism./.