Deputy Chairman of Khánh Hòa Provincial People's Committee Lê Hữu Hoàng welcomes South Korean guests on New Year's Day. — Photo baochinhphu.vn

HÀ NỘI — Major tourist destinations in Việt Nam, after nearly three years greeting mostly domestic visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have witnessed the return of international visitors during the New Year holiday.

According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quảng Nam Province, the total number of tourists visiting and staying during the holiday was 120,000, of which 89,000 were foreigners and 31,000 Vietnamese.

Director of the department, Nguyễn Thanh Hồng, said the number of foreign visitors – three times higher than domestic tourists – is "a positive sign, showing that local tourism is on the way to recovery".

Statistics from Thừa Thiên Huế Department of Tourism also show that the number of foreign visitors has increased significantly. By the end of January 2, among 19,000 tourists who arrived in the province, the number of foreigners accounted for 50 per cent.

In Đà Nẵng, during the holiday, there were 395 arrival flights, carrying more than 58,000 passengers, of which 60 per cent were foreigners.

On New Year's Day, 300 foreign tourists from Incheon (South Korea) and Almaty (Kazakhstan) landed at Cam Ranh International Airport to start their tour in Khánh Hòa Province.

In Hà Nội and HCM City, the number of international visitors was 38,000 and 35,000, respectively. — VNS