Tourists explore HCM CIty on a double-decker bus tour. — VNA/VNS Photo Mỹ Phương

HÀ NỘI — In the first seven months of 2022, localities across the country recorded a high increase in tourism revenue led by HCM City, Hà Nội, Thanh Hóa, and Quảng Ninh.

HCM City received the highest number of tourists in the first seven months of the year, welcoming 13.3 million domestic visitors, up 71.73 per cent over the same period last year, together with around 765,600 international tourists. The total tourism revenue of HCM City is estimated at VNĐ60.38 trillion (about US$2.58 billion).

The city earning the second highest tourism revenue is Hà Nội, at VNĐ31.9 trillion ($1.36 billion), 3.9 times higher than the same period in 2021.

Welcoming over nine million visitors, the central province of Thanh Hóa ranks third, earning VNĐ16.394 billion from tourism, an increase of 3.6 times compared to the same period of last year and reaching 91.5 per cent of the whole year plan.

The northern province of Quảng Ninh received about 4.7 million visitors, equivalent to 104.4 per cent of the growth target of 2022. Tourism revenue of the province is estimated at VNĐ12.129 billion, up 131 per cent over the same period.

Other provinces with strong tourism revenue include Đà Nẵng, Nghệ An, Lào Cai, Khánh Hòa, Kiên Giang and Bình Thuận.

According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), the national revenue generated from tourism hit VNĐ11.9 trillion ($509.85 million) in the first seven months of this year, a 2.7-fold rise year-on-year due to the strong recovery of tourism activities.

Việt Nam welcomed 954,600 foreign visitors from January to July, 10 times higher than the figure in the same period last year.

However, the seven-month number still falls short of the pre-pandemic figure, representing a drop of 90.3 per cent compared to 2019. Visitors coming by air accounted for 87.1 per cent of the total, 13.5 times higher than the figure for the same period last year.

According to Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Phạm Văn Thủy, the country has set a target of receiving about 65 million visitors, including 60 million domestic tourists and 5 million foreigners. Việt Nam has so far welcomed about 71.8 million domestic visitors, exceeding the set target, though the number of international visitors has not yet reached one million.

As the peak season for foreign tourists to Việt Nam falls from September this year to April next year, the goal is still achievable, though dependent on many factors, including the pandemic, he said.

Thủy went on to say that the tourism industry will continue to coordinate with relevant partners in other countries to conduct promotion programmes to realise the desired target. — VNS