Vietnam’s tourism industry has felt bruises as the new cororavirus has spread fears across the globe and caused a plunge in foreign arrivals, especially guests from the largest markets.
| Tourists enjoy on a boat at Ha Long bay, Quang Ninh province. |
Foreign tourist arrivals in the country totaled an estimated 3.23 million in the first two months this year, representing an increase of 4.8% year-on-year, the slowest pace since 2016, according to data of the General Statistic Office.
The country welcomed 2.43 million Asia visitors in the January-February period, up a meager 4.7% from the corresponding period last year. Of the total, arrivals from China dropped 5.8% to 838.6 thousand, those from South Korea inched up 2.4% to 790.4 thousand, and those from Japan increased 8% to 163 thousand.
The impact of Covid-19 was felt stronger in February when the arrivals reached some 1.24 million, falling 27.7% from January and 21.8% from a year earlier, statistics showed. The number of Asian guests, which usually account for more than 70% of the total, plummeted 27.2% year-on-year.
According to media reports, many hotels in Vietnam have been forced to shut temporarily to mitigate losses while a number of tour guides are seeking new jobs.
Vietnam’s tourism industry is estimated to suffer a loss of US$7 billion this year due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and national carrier Vietnam Airlines on February 25 launched a campaign to stimulate travel demand for both outbound and inbound markets.
