HCMC – After the idle time ushered in by the coronavirus pandemic, the food and beverage consumption in HCMC surged in June.
Data from the HCMC Department of Statistics indicated that revenue from the catering and lodging services, mainly from food and beverage, amounted to an estimated VND4.8 trillion last month, soaring by 42.3% month-on-month but still dipping by 47.7% year-on-year.
The surge was attributable to the successful containment of the coronavirus in the country, according to the department. Residents’ daily activities have returned to normal, leading to their consumption and purchase rising.
Apart from the launch of multiple programs to stimulate domestic tourism, the reopening of schools has also driven up the revenue in the food and beverage segment.
The data also showed that revenue from travel services reached VND96 billion in June, up a whopping 68.4% month-on-month. However, due to no international tourist arrivals, the revenue reached a mere 3.7% of the year-ago figure.
HCMC Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said that the city’s tourism has seen a gloomy picture in the first half of the year, as HCMC welcomed a mere 9.4 million visitors, tumbling by 54.7% year-on-year.
The drop in both international and domestic tourist arrivals, which were recorded at 1.3 million and 8.1 million, respectively, has made life difficult for HCMC-based firms active in the tourism industry, he said.
“Over the past six months, some firms saw the number of customers and their revenue plunge by 95%-100% year-on-year. The Covid-19-impacted travel industry has had a ripple effect on other segments, including transport and accommodation,” Phong told a recent conference on tourism cooperation between HCMC and the 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region.
By Dao Loan
