Domestic tourists hit five million at the beginning of May

About $960 million has been generated from domestic tourism activities within just a few days at the beginning of May

Many destinations in Vietnam have experienced tremendous growth in tourist arrivals starting from the second biggest holiday of the year from April 30 to May 3. Hanoi has welcomed 550,000 visitors, including about 2,000 travelling internationally, an increase of nearly 20 times over the same period in 2020.

The total revenue from tourists is estimated at over $6.5 million, an increase of about 17 times over the same period in 2020.

Responding to the 31^st SEA Games and the National Tourism Year, Hanoi has organised a series of cultural, art, and tourism events, giving visitors the opportunity to experience many entertaining activities right in the capital.

Ho Chi Minh City also served 620,000 visitors, including 13,200 international visitors, bringing in total revenue of over $69 million.

According to the Danang Department of Tourism, more than 254,000 visitors came from the end of April to the beginning of May, an increase of 3.4 times compared to the same period last year. Domestic tourists reached about 246,600, a more than 3-fold increase and international visitors reached about 7,400, an increase of nearly 16 times.

Quang Nam province also sharply increased the number of domestic and international visitors with about 120,000 arrivals, an increase of 130 per cent.

The total revenue from tourism in Kien Giang province in the first few days of May reached $7.6 million, up 42 per cent thanks to a 68 per cent increase in visitors. Phu Quoc city alone welcomed almost 129,000 visitors, including 5,000 international tourists, an increase of around 41 per cent.

Other destinations also achieved an impressive number of visitors such as Can Tho with 395,000 visitors, Quang Ninh with 340,000, An Giang with 300,000, Lam Dong with 130,000, and Khanh Hoa with 275,000.

Total revenue from tourists to Khanh Hoa reached $23 million, up 217 per cent over the same period last year.

The increase in visitors has prompted major domestic airlines to increase flight frequencies on all domestic routes. In just the first few days of May, airlines operated nearly 1,000 flights per day, equivalent to the same period in 2019 and an increase of about 30 per cent on weekdays.

Vietjet accounted for nearly 39 per cent of flights, Vietnam Airlines secured more than 37 per cent, Bamboo Airways made up nearly 14 per cent, and the rest were from Pacific Airlines, VASCO and Vietravel Airlines. The average booking rate of domestic flights reached over 70 per cent, and flights connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to tourist destinations were over 80 per cent full.

Many businesses providing accommodation services and tourist attractions also recorded impressive growth. Major travel agencies such as Saigontourist, which has served 30,000-50,000 domestic tourists, Vietravel, Vietnam Travelmart, and Fiditour have seen increased numbers of bookings.

At some businesses providing tourist accommodation services, the booking capacity is at over 80 per cent for the 4- and 5-star segment and 75 per cent for the 3-star segment or lower. Some high-class hotels in the FLC Group Hotels & Resort chain in Halong, Haiphong, and Thanh Hoa are at over 90 per cent capacity and Legacy MGalery Hotel Yen Tu has served over 5,000 guests with an occupancy rate of 100 per cent.

These impressive figures signal a rapid recovery of the tourism industry after its reopening. According to estimates, about $960 million has been generated from tourism activities within just a few days. This momentum will help Vietnam's tourism to recover strongly when the peak season for summer tourism begins and the peak season to welcome tourists from the EU and the US kicks off in September.

As for the outbound tourism market, Dubai and the UAE are currently the most attractive foreign destinations for Vietnamese tourists with about 5,000 arrivals from March to April. Some other markets started to reopen in April such as Thailand, Singapore, and the EU but recorded a more modest number of visitors – mainly business travellers.