HCMC – This month saw international arrivals in Vietnam surge 70.6% month-on-month and up 12.8-fold year-on-year, according to statistics from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam.
The sharp increase resulted from the country’s full reopening to international tourists, the resumption of international air services and the 31st SEA Games, the local media reported.
Between January and May, international arrivals in the country grew by 4.5-fold year-on-year, but plunged by 95% against the same period in 2019.
Of the total international arrivals during the five-month period, air passengers made up 87.8% and increased by 6.3-fold year-on-year, while foreign arrivals by road soared by 47% and the entry of sea visitors slid 51%.
The statistics also show that revenue from lodging and catering services in the first five months of the year added 15.7% year-on-year. The 31st SEA Games contributed to driving up the revenue of these services in May up 69.3% year-on-year.
During the period, tourism revenue rose by 34.7% year-on-year as the tourism sector is recovering strongly and Southeast Asia’s largest sports event held in Vietnam in May attracted multiple groups of international visitors to the country.
The latest report released by the World Economic Forum showed that Vietnam ranked 52nd in the tourism development index in 2021, up eight notches against 2019, making the country among three nations in the world with the highest growth, according to Vietnam National Administration of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
