Ninh Thuận drew large crowds of tourists during the Hùng Kings Commemoration Day and April 30-May 1 holiday. — VNA/VNS Photos Công Thử

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s tourism sector has continued to show positive signs of recovery with an increase in domestic and international tourist arrivals, bringing in revenue of VNĐ24 trillion (US$1.02 billion) during the recent five-day-long holiday, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) said.

VNAT said the tourism sector served more than 300,000 international visitors and nearly seven million domestic visitors, including 3.2 million travellers staying overnight at accommodation establishments during the five days holiday.

The number of travellers increased by 40 per cent compared to the same period of last year, and the total revenue saw a 9 per cent increase compared to the same period of last year.

The occupancy rate at tourism sites was 60-100 per cent. Beaches, attractions and restaurants were full of groups of visitors during the holiday, it said.

In particular, Thanh Hoá Province was recorded as the leading destination with nearly 1.2 million visitors, an increase of 33.1 per cent compared to the same holiday period in 2022. The province enjoyed a revenue of VNĐ2.8 trillion, an increase of 48.3 per cent compared to the same holiday period in 2022.

Other major localities across the country included Cần Thơ serving 982,000 visitors, HCM City serving 950,000 visitors, Nghệ An serving about 780,000 visitors, and Hà Nội serving 719,000 visitors.

Quảng Nam, Kiên Giang, Quảng Bình and Thừa Thiên-Huế were among the destinations with less than 300,000 visitors.

Tourists at a vineyard in Ninh Thuận Province.

VNAT said during the recent holiday, travel companies, tour operators and airlines promoted stimulus tourism products that suited the trends and needs of tourists.

With preferential policies, discounts, and many new products introduced by travel agencies during the April 30-May 1 holiday, the number of tour bookings and air tickets increased.

Tourism businesses have renewed their products to attract a large number of tourists. Some examples of tourism events include the "Summer Kick-Off” in Hà Nội, eco-tourism programs linked to historical, spiritual, and cultural heritage in Phù Đổng, and tours of national architectural and artistic heritage sites, such as the People's Council and People's Committee headquarters in HCM City.

In particular, maritime tourism products such as cruises and island tours were highly favoured by foreign tourists. Saigontourist Travel Company (Saigontourist) welcomed ten international groups with over 5,000 tourists from Germany, France, and other Asian countries to take boat tours on Hạ Long Bay.

Vietravel served more than 10,000 international tourists, equivalent to one-third of the total foreign visitors during the holiday nationwide, with their sea tours and long-day boat tours.

Bình Sơn-Ninh Chũ Beach in Tháp Chàm City attracted many tourists during the holiday. — VNA/VNS Photo Công Thử

Due to the high cost of domestic airline tickets in April, there was a sharp increase in Vietnamese tourists booking tours abroad to destinations such as Thailand, South Korea, and Indonesia. Despite ticket prices on some flight routes for the holidays being slightly reduced by about 10-15 per cent, the number of tourists remained low.

Nguyễn Trùng Khánh, head of the VNAT, said this year’s holiday showed positive signals that the tourism industry was continuing to maintain its recovery and had fully overcome the difficulties caused by the pandemic.

"Due to the relatively long holiday, most tourists preferred popular beaches in Đà Nẵng, Nghệ An, Thanh Hoá, Quảng Ninh and Hải Phòng, or enjoyed visiting nearby tourist destinations for families or small groups," he said.

Khánh said the assurance of security and safety in tourism activities during the holiday season was well implemented by localities.

However, he said, there were congestions at some key tourism destinations and national highways during peak hours and a staff shortage, leading to the cancellation of services. — VNS