Number of foreign tourists grows rapidly, but average spending rises slowly
Vietnam aims to lure 18 million foreign tourists in 2019
Tourists expected to flock to Vietnam after DPRK-USA Summit
The number of foreign holidaymakers to Vietnam in the first four months of 2019 is estimated at nearly 6 million, a 7.6% increase from the same period last year, Zing reported, citing the Vietnam National Adiministration of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Up to 4.67 million foreigners arrived in Vietnam by air, accouting for 77.8% of the total and representing a rise of 7.6% year-on-year. Arrivals by road and sea were 1.17 million and 119,466, up 21.1% and down 15.9%, respectively.
In April alone, Vietnam welcomed nearly 1.5 million foreign visitors, a rise of 9.5% year-on-year. Vietnam’s tourism revenue was estimated at VND227.8 trillion (US$9.77 billion) in the first four months of 2019, an 8.91% increase from 2018.
In the first four months of 2019, increases were recorded in the number of holidaymakers from almost all markets, particularly Thailand (46.5%), Indonesia (29.1%), Taiwan – China (25%), the Philippines (24.4%), South Korea (23.2%), Malaysia (15.7%).
Vietnam expects to welcome some 18 million international visitors this year, compared to 15.5 million in 2018.
Earlier, Vietnam has been named among most affordable places to move around the globe before they get too expensive, according to a list released by Live and Invest Overseas (LIOS), a savvy source for information on international living, retiring abroad, and investing.
LIOS recommends Vietnam as a forward-looking country with a fast-growing economy where new US residents can live on a basic budget of just US$500 a month.
“In spots like Da Lat and Da Nang, dinner at a local restaurant costs between US$1 and US$4; a Coke costs 50 cents, and a loaf of crusty French bread is 45 cents, making it easy to stretch your dollars without much in the way of sacrifice. And it’s easy to have a fabulous beach vacation in the coastal city of Quy Nhon,” LIOS wrote.
Hanoitimes