Ta Hien Street in downtown Hanoi, normally crowded with foreigners. (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Foreign arrivals to Vietnam totalled just 880,000 in June, thelowest figure in many years, as the country maintained a ban on the entry of foreignersthat was introduced in March to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to theGeneral Statistics Office (GSO).
The figurewas 61.3 percent lower than in May and 99.3 percent against June last year.
Mostforeigners that did arrive were experts or skilled workers at projects aroundthe country.
In thefirst half the number of foreign visitors plunged 55.8 percent to 3.74 million,with 72.9 percent coming from Asia.
Sharp declineshave been seen in visitors from Vietnam’s major markets, such as China, theRepublic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan (China), Russia, the UK, and France, whilethose from Cambodia doubled compared to the same period last year.
Thecountry earned 10.3 trillion VND (445.26 million USD) inrevenue from tourism during the period, down 53.2 percent year-on-year, withthe hardest-hit localities being the south-central province of Khanh Hoa, whichsaw tourism revenue nosedive by 73.5 percent, HCM City, by 71.2 percent, southernBa Ria-Vung Tau province, by 66.2 percent, and northern Quang Ninh province, by60.8 percent.
A tourismpromotion campaign called “Vietnamese People Travel in Vietnam” was launched inApril to encourage local travellers to take domestic tours, while travelagencies are making preparations to welcome foreign tourists once the entry banis lifted./.
VNA
