Tourists at Đồi Dương beach, Phan Thiết City, Bình Thuận Province, during the holiday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The tourism sector served about eight million tourists during the five-day holiday from April 27 to May 1, up 14.2 per cent year on year, the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has reported.

Of the tourists, 3.6 million stayed overnight and the average room occupancy at accommodation establishments nationwide was up to 70 per cent, or even 100 per cent in some coastal destinations.

Most of key tourism destinations such as Sa Pa, Quảng Ninh, Thanh Hóa, Phú Yên, Nha Trang, and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu recorded a surge in the number of tourists compared to the same period in 2023.

The central province of Thanh Hóa topped the country with 1.52 million visitors, a growth of 27.2 per cent year on year, and a revenue of VNĐ3.805 trillion (US$152 million), followed by the northern coastal province Quảng Ninh and south-central coastal province Khánh Hòa with 1 million and nearly 970,000 visitors, respectively.

The capital city of Hà Nội welcomed 737,900 tourists, up 4 per cent, while revenues reached VNĐ2.5 trillion, up 12.5 per cent. HCM City served 969,000 tourists, up 2 per cent, with revenues rising by 3.4 per cent, hitting VNĐ3.235 trillion.

This year's Reunification Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1) holiday extended to five days, so most destinations welcomed more visitors, with longer stays and higher revenue compared to the same period in 2023. However, the scorching weather in the whole country hindered several outdoor activities in mountainous and urban areas. Besides, some destinations recorded a downward trend in the number of visitors compared to 2023 including Đà Nẵng, Phú Quốc, Quảng Nam, and Côn Đảo due to high airfares.

Tourists at the Bạch Long glass bridge, Mộc Châu Island tourist area in Sơn La Province, during the April 30-May 1 holiday. — VNA/VNS Photo

It's noteworthy that the number of international tourists continues to grow steadily despite being past the peak season (which usually falls in the year-end and first few months of the new year).

Room rates and tourism services have remained relatively stable.

Security situation, environmental sanitation, and food safety at destinations are ensured. Proactive preparation and organisation of numerous cultural events, festivals, sports activities, with large-scale events in localities and tourist centres, especially with the active participation of businesses, have created many new tourism products, boosting demand for entertainment, sightseeing, and relaxation during the 2024 holiday and peak summer tourism season.

Some notable products include the Night Journey of Đà Lạt (Lâm Đồng), Night Tour of Hùng Temples (Phú Thọ), One Journey - Diverse Experience programme by Ninh Bình - Thanh Hoá - Nghệ An - Hà Tĩnh provinces, Red River Experience Tour in Hà Nội, 2024 sea tourism season in Đà Nẵng, etc.

To cope with the situation, travel agencies have offered high-quality shuttle buses, train, car tours for short distances, and combining train, car, and waterway services for longer distances, in order to reduce costs for tourists while enhancing experience for them. — VNS