HCMC – The number of international tourist arrivals in Vietnam between January and September plummeted by nine million year-on-year due to the impact of Covid-19, with a mere 13,800 foreign visitors traveling to the country in September, while the figure was over 1.5 million in the same month last year.
The sharp drop was attributable to the Government’s Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures, including Vietnam remaining closed to international tourists. Some 13,800 international arrivals, mainly foreign experts and highly-skilled workers, entered Vietnam in September, down 99.1% year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam.
In the year to September, over 3.7 million foreign tourists traveled to the country, dipping by 70.6% year-on-year.
Khanh Hoa Province, HCMC and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province saw their lodging and catering service revenue in the nine-month period dip 59.8%, 41.3% and 39.9%, respectively, year-on-year, while the country’s fall stood at 15%.
The country’s revenue from travel services from January to September slid by 56.3% year-on-year, while the decline in travel services in Khanh Hoa Province and HCMC was 78.7% and 73.7%, respectively.
If the country opens its doors to foreigners in the last quarter, the number of international arrivals for 2020 will still tumble by 13.5 to 14 million compared with last year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
Last year, the country welcomed some 18 million international tourists, prompting the tourism sector to expect over 20 million international tourists this year, but the plan fell through due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
By Dao Loan
