Tourism sector prospers from long holiday

According to the Administration of Tourism, foreign visitors to Vietnam in April reached 745,980, up 5.11% over the previous month and 21.51% over April last year.

This has pushed the total number of foreign tourists in the first four months of this year to more than 3 million, a rise of 25.32% over the same period last year. Total earnings from tourism reached VND89.4 billion, up 29.4% year on year.

Localities throughout the country, from the northernmost province of Ha Giang to the southernmost locality of Ca Mau, have seen a rise in the number of visitors since the beginning of this year.Ha Giang province attracted thousands of visitors, about 30% of them foreigners, while Ca Mau province welcomed more than 90,000 tourists.

The island district of Ly Son in the central province of Quang Ngai has welcomed more than 3,000 visitors during the ongoing holiday period, three times higher than the expected figure.

According to Vice Chairwoman of the Ly Son People's Committee Pham Thi Huong, all the local hotels and guesthouses were full of tourists, while four vessels brought up to 1,000 visitors to the island each day.

However, during the five-day holiday, the prices of accommodation and restaurant services rose by 20-30 percent, she said.

Ly Son has become a popular tourist attraction for domestic and foreign tourists. It boasts several instances of intangible cultural heritage, such as traditional boat races and the Hoang Sa Soldier Feast and Commemoration Festival, which was recognised as national heritage in April of last year.

The central city of Da Nang has seen approximately 210,000 visitors, including nearly 40,000 foreigners, a greater than 50% rise over the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the ancient capital of Thua Thien-Hue also welcomed 62,356 visitors, including 8,690 foreigners, from April 30-May 2.

Director of the Hue Relics Conservation Centre Phan Thanh Hai, said the province has earned VND3.797 billion from tourism services during the holidays.

The province also organised a number of fascinating programmes to entertain visitors including folk music performances and food festivals.

The central province of Nghe An, which boasts the famous Cua Lo beach and which was the home of late President Ho Chi Minh, also saw a 15-20 percent increase compared to normal figures.

(Source: Nhandan Online)