Tourists to Hanoi reduce by 98.4 percent in April

The number of tourists to Hanoi dropped 98.4 percent year on year to just 35,500 in April, it was reported at a meeting of the municipal People’s Committee on May 6.

In Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

The number of tourists to Hanoi dropped 98.4 percent year on year to just 35,500 in April, it was reported at a meeting of the municipal People’s Committee on May 6.

Among the visitors, there were around 8,500 international guests, down 98.6 percent, while domestic travelers numbered 27,000, down 98.3 percent.

As a result, the tourism sector’s revenue also fell 98.3 percent to only 143 billion VND (6.1 million USD).

The strong reduction in April contributed to a decrease of 59.2 percent in the number of tourists visiting Hanoi in the first four months of this year, to 3.89 million. Of the figure, over 964,000 were international visitors, down 58.2 percent year on year, and 2.92 million were domestic tourists, down 59.5 percent.

The sector earned 15.83 trillion VND in the period, down 53.2 percent from the same period last year.

Director of the Tourism Department Tran Duc Hai said 1,200 local accommodation facilities had to suspend operation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the national holidays on April 30 and May 1, 1,364 travel agents stopped operation, affecting over 35,000 employees.

However, the department believes there is a good prospect for growth as the sector gradually resumes operation.

“The department has defined its main task of stimulating domestic tourism from now to the end of the year,” director Hai said.

According to him, the sector will focus on the local strength of cultural tourism, while developing sustainable tourism products involving agriculture and trade villages.

Travel demand of Hanoians has started increasing again since the social distancing order was lifted in late April, and many tourist sites in the capital city have re-opened after long closure in an effort to help contain the spread of the COVID-19./.

VNA