The decline is due to the fact that Vietnam is continuing to implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures and has not yet opened its doors to foreign travelers. International visitors to the Southeast Asian country this month are mainly experts and technical workers who are currently working on projects in Vietnam.
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According the People, Regarding the January-June period, Vietnam served more than 3.74 million international tourist arrivals, down 55.8% year-on-year, with arrivals by air at over three million (down 54.3%), by road at nearly 600,000 (down 66.8%) and by sea at more than 144,000 (up 3.7%).
Asian tourists to Vietnam in the first half of the year reached over 2.7 million, accounting for 72.9% of the total and down 58.4% over the same period in 2019. Meanwhile, arrivals from Europe were estimated at over 666,000, down 42%; from the Americas at roughly 234,000, down 54.8%; from Oceania at over 102,000 (down 54.4%); and from Africa at 12,100, down 46.6%.
Vietnam’s revenue from tourists during the six-month period was estimated to have reached VND10.3 trillion (US$444.9 million), down 53.2% year-on-year.
The tourism industry has launched a campaign encouraging Vietnamese people to travel to Vietnamese destinations, aiming to stimulate domestic tourism, in addition to preparing the necessary conditions for the reopening of the door to international visitors. According to experts, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel safety is considered a top priority. Taking the issue seriously, domestic tourists are tending to choose nearby destinations, short-term tours in small groups, and individual tourism.
Grasping the psychology of customers, most travel businesses running tours have carefully chosen destinations as well as transportation, accommodation and catering services to ensure optimal safety for travelers.