Cửa Lò Beach is one of the major tourist destinations of the central province Nghệ An. — VNA/VNS Photo Tá Chuyên

HÀ NỘI ­— Việt Nam’s domestic tourism market continues to record impressive growth, according to the National Administration of Tourism.

Searches for Việt Nam’s tourist attractions on the internet in July this year increased nearly eight times and three times as compared to the same period last year and the beginning of March this year, respectively, before the country re-opened to tourism.

HCM City was the most searched destination for domestic tourists, followed by Phú Quốc Island, Hà Nội, Đà Lạt, Đà Nẵng, Vũng Tàu, Quy Nhơn, Huế and Phan Thiết cities.

According to the HCM City Tourism Association chairwoman, Nguyễn Thị Khánh, member business operations have recovered to about 60-70 per cent of the period before the pandemic.

The number of travel businesses restarting their business was about 70 per cent, Khánh said.

The city’s tourism was more prosperous because the people’s travel demand increased, especially in summer. She said that domestic and foreign tourists had well received many new tourism products from HCM City.

In August, the association was expected to organise the 1st Việt Nam Tourism Development Co-operation Forum, which will be a venue for travel businesses to meet, connect, exchange, introduce and promote tourism products and services, she said.

In addition, the association would coordinate with the Centre for Research, Conservation and Development of Việt Nam Cuisine to organise four major events of the Vietnamese Rice Culinary Festival (October 8-12), Vegetarian Food Festival with the theme of Essence of Vietnamese Agricultural Products (October 27-31), the Bread Festival (December 8-15) and Food Week in the city.

Meanwhile, there have been many good signs for Phú Quốc – the largest island off the southern province of Kiên Giang - since the fourth wave of the pandemic.

Since June this year, accommodation on the island has often been fully booked, even on weekdays.

The accommodation owners must double their staff to meet visitor needs.

According to recent surveys at leading travel agencies such as Vietravel and Saigontourist, Phú Quốc ranked first in the most attractive destinations for summer.

Both solo and group travellers choose the island because of the many flights, new entertainment spots, and beautiful beaches.

Phú Quốc was selected as one of the 25 best islands in the world by readers of the US magazine Travel+Leisure.

Criteria for the best island in the world include entertainment, attractions, nature, beaches, food, friendliness and overall value.

Phú Quốc ranks 14th in the 25 most amazing islands in the world with a score of 90.25.

Visitors love Phú Quốc for its white sand beaches, delicious dishes, coral reefs and tropical forests.

Việt Nam’s tourism industry aims to serve 65 million tourists this year, including about 60 million domestic and 5 million international visitors.

So far, the number of domestic tourists has exceeded the target, reaching 60.8 million domestic visitors in the first six months of 2022. — VNS