HCM CITY — The tourism industry has greatly benefited from the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, with all regions of the country reporting a sharp rise in the number of tourists.   

During the seven days from February 14 to 20 Hà Nội received nearly 375,000 tourists, up 13 per cent over the same period last year.

The number included 125,000 foreign arrivals, a 30 per cent jump, mainly from China, Korea, Japan, the US, France, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Tourism revenues rose by an estimated 19 per cent year-on-year to VNĐ1.283 trillion (US$56.47 million).

A slew of traditional festivals and festivities were held in the capital city, especially at tourist attractions.

More than 70,000 visitors visited the Hương Pagoda in Mỹ Đức District, a 20 per cent rise.

The northern province of Quảng Ninh saw the number of tourists increase by 21 per cent to 800,000. It earned nearly VNĐ900 billion in revenues, according to its tourism department.

The occupancy rates at hotels in the three- to five-star categories reached 80-90 per cent.

Nearly two thirds of all visitors visited major pagodas like Yên Tử, Ngọa Vân, Cửa Ông, Cái Bầu, and Long Tiên.  

More than 105,000 people visited Hạ Long Bay, a 30 per cent rise, including 65,000 international visitors.

In the central region, thousands of tourists flocked to the Kim Liên relic in Nghệ An’s Nam Đàn District to pay tribute to the late president Hồ Chí Minh.

The Đà Nẵng city tourism department estimated the number of tourist arrivals at more than 296,000, up 14 per cent from last year.

They included 132,000 foreign nationals, an increase of 27.6 per cent, mainly overseas Vietnamese and visitors from China, Korea, and Japan.

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ received 700,000 tourists, a rise of 10 per cent, including 16,200 foreigners.

Bình Thuận Province welcomed more than 80,000 visitors to its beach resorts, including 28,000 international tourists, up 25.87 per cent and mainly from Russia, Germany, China, South Korea, and Thailand.

The surge in the number of tourists is attributed to effective promotion and the availability of a diverse range of products and services.

The southernmost province of Cà Mau received nearly 40,000 tourists.

The peak time was the second day of the new year (February 17) when the number of visitors to tourist sites topped 28,400, nearly five times the number on normal days.

The province’s major tourist attractions include the President Hồ Chí Minh Memorial Park and Khai Long, Hòn Đá Bạc and Đất Mũi Tourism Areas. — VNS