The tourism situation looks promising across the three regions right from the beginning of the year, promising...
The tourism situation looks promising across the three regions right from the beginning of the year, promising a breakthrough year of 2024.
Western tourists flocking in
The Vietnam National Tourism Administration has announced figures showing that during the 7 days of Tet (from February 8 to 14, equivalent to the 29th to the 5th of the lunar calendar), the tourism industry nationwide welcomed and served 10.5 million domestic visitors, an increase of 16.6% compared to the same period in 2023. Among them, about 3.5 million visitors stayed overnight, a 75% increase. Many key tourist destinations attracted a large number of visitors, bringing in significant revenue, such as: Hanoi welcomed 103,000 visitors, more than double compared to the same period in 2023; Quang Nam served 97,000 visitors, a 42% increase; Ho Chi Minh City recorded a 15.4% increase in tourist arrivals compared to the same period in 2023, reaching 75,000 visitors... With the increase in visitors, many localities "pocketed" billions of dong in revenue in just 7 days of Tet holidays.
Many international tourist attractions during the Lunar New Year
Not only surprising with the unexpected increase in domestic tourists, but also many international tourists have also arrived, joining in the lively atmosphere of the first days of the new year across the country.
For example, from early morning on the 1st day of the Lunar New Year, at the cable car station to the top of Fansipan, long lines of tourists queued to buy tickets. Sa Pa welcomed the first days of spring with cold weather, bringing the vibrant spring colors of the highlands. From the 3rd day onwards, the spring atmosphere here became even more bustling with the Khèn Hoa Festival and the opening of the Fansipan Heaven Gate with many spiritual experiences and meaningful highland New Year celebrations. The area of traditional games such as blindfolded goat catching, blindfolded duck catching, and greased pole climbing is always lively with laughter and joy.
Not only Vietnamese guests, but also many international tourists participated in experiencing the traditional games at Ban May. White-skinned boys and girls with blonde hair did not hesitate to try climbing the greased pole, blindfolded duck catching, participating in stick pushing with the local people... According to the representative of Sun World Fansipan Legend tourist area, this year, despite economic difficulties and reduced spending forecasts for entertainment activities, during the first days of the new year of Giap Thin, this place still welcomed tens of thousands of visitors, a 17% increase compared to the same period last year.
Whether going up the mountain or down to the sea, Phu Quoc is perhaps the most popular international tourist destination in the country during the Lunar New Year. Statistics from the Department of Tourism of Kien Giang province showed that from February 8 to 14, the province welcomed an estimated 335,054 visitors, a 21.1% increase compared to the same period. In which, international visitors were estimated at 53,598, an increase of 4.4 times compared to the same period; room occupancy rate reached 66.3%, and total tourism revenue of the province reached about 1,122 billion VND.
Phu Quoc alone is estimated to have welcomed 191,255 visitors and 51,929 international visitors, an increase of 4.7 times. The Pearl Island is in its most beautiful season of the year, so it has continuously received many flights from Thailand, Malaysia, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Poland, the United States, Mongolia... with tens of thousands of tourists. Currently, there are over 2,000 international visitors to Phu Quoc every day; among them, Korean visitors account for over 50%.
The report on transportation during the 7-day period of the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin that the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has just sent to the Ministry of Transport also recorded that the market for international passenger transport by air from February 8 to 14 reached approximately 748,600 passengers, an increase of up to 54% compared to the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, the sea route is also bustling when in just the first 2 months of the year, Vietnam received and served 11 maritime trips bringing about 30,000 "fresh" international passengers.
"The international tourism market is recovering very positively. Tourists have begun to focus on nearby markets, which have unique cultural factors, and Vietnam is an attractive destination. With such optimistic signals right from the beginning of the year like this, it is hoped that the number of international visitors to Vietnam in 2024 will reach and exceed the target," the leader of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism enthusiastically shared right after the tourism boom during the Tet holiday.
We need to enhance cooperation with leading international countries and airlines to promote the opening of new routes and increase the frequency of existing direct flights between Vietnam's key tourist destinations and major cities, especially in target tourist markets, such as South Korea, China, India, Australia... - Mr. Dang Minh Truong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sun Group.
The international tourists visiting Vietnam
The visa relaxation is still considered a weapon to help tourism breakthroughs attract international visitors to Vietnam this year. The assessment of visa policies has made significant progress, however, to achieve greater breakthroughs, to be more competitive, according to Mr. Dang Minh Truong, we must continue to reform even more vigorously. At the same time, urgent solutions need to be provided to support the removal of difficulties for domestic airlines so that they can strengthen and consolidate their fleets, increase domestic flights, and connect international routes.
Therefore, visa relaxation is considered a space for Vietnamese tourism to break through in 2024, contributing strongly to the recovery and general economic growth of the country.
Via Bao Thanh Nien