Vietnam sees sharp increase in foreign arrivals in first quarter
VOV.VN - The number of foreign visitors to the nation reached more than 2.6 million during the first quarter of the year, a figure 29.7 times higher compared to the same period from last year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced on March 29.
Most notably, Vietnam received 895,400 foreign arrivals in March alone, marking a drop of 4% against February, although it stood at 21.5 times higher than the figure seen a year ago.
In the first quarter of the year, there were 2.6 million foreign visitors arriving in the nation, but barely 60% of the figure from 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Most visitors hail from Asia at 1.9 million, followed by European visitors at 385,000, and the Americas at 263,000.
Throughout the reviewed period, 89.8% of tourists came to Vietnam by air, a total of 2.4 million, 9% by road at 241,900, and 1.2% by sea at 33,700.
Vietnam hopes to serve 110 million tourist arrivals this year, including eight million foreign visitors and 102 million domestic travelers.
By welcoming 2.6 million foreign arrivals in Q1, the nation reached roughly 33% of its goal, meaning the target of eight million remains feasible, according to Pham Van Thuy, deputy general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), at a recent press conference on Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) held in Hanoi.