International visitor numbers to Vietnam have decreased for the 13th consecutive month.

According to data from the General Statistics Office: The number of international visitors to Vietnam in June 2015 reached 529,000, a decrease of 1.9% compared to the same period in June 2014 and a decrease of 8.2% compared to May 2015.

Passengers arriving in Vietnam from South Korea fill out health declaration forms. (Photo: Duong Ngoc/VNA)

As of June 2015, Vietnam's tourism sector had experienced a decline in international visitors for 13 consecutive months. Specifically, visitors arriving by air decreased by 8.6%, by land by 8.9%, while those arriving by sea increased more than 2.5 times.

Statistics also show that in May 2015, the number of visitors from Europe decreased the most, by 14.7%, followed by Asia with a 10.6% decrease, while visitors from Oceania increased by 1.6%.

Countries experiencing significant decreases in visitor numbers include China (down 30.2%), South Korea (down 10.6%), Thailand (down 5.1%), and Japan (down 5.3%). Visitors from European countries also decreased, with France down nearly 50%; and Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium down 25-30%.

Only three Nordic countries—Norway, Sweden, and Finland—and Russia saw an increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous month. Visitors from the US increased by 31.1%, while those from Canada decreased by 12.1%.

The complex situation of the Mers-CoV outbreak in South Korea and Asia is also considered one of the reasons why international tourists are limiting travel during this period.

In Hanoi, it is estimated that in the first six months of 2014, the number of domestic tourists increased by 5.8% compared to the same period last year. Revenue from accommodation, food and beverage services, and travel and tourism increased by 3.2% compared to the same period.

In the first six months of 2015, Ho Chi Minh City welcomed over 2.16 million international tourists, a 3% increase compared to the same period in 2014. Thus, the total number of international visitors to the city from the beginning of the year to date has reached 4.7 million, equivalent to 46% of the 2015 plan.

Tourism revenue (travel agencies, hotels, and restaurants) increased by 7% in the first six months compared to the same period last year. Several international markets have seen a significant number of visitors to Ho Chi Minh City since the beginning of the year, including the US, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, France, and some ASEAN countries.

According to Nguyen Van Tuan, Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the recent strong outbreak of Mers-CoV, especially the disease causing many South Koreans to become infected and die daily, has led to a decline in international tourists visiting Asia, including Vietnam.../.

According toVIETNAM+