The number of international visitors to Vietnam in March decreased by 10.4%

According to statistics from the General Department of Tourism, in March 2015, the number of international visitors to Vietnam was estimated at nearly 617,900, down 10.4% compared to February 2015, and down 12.9% compared to the same period in 2014.

The number of international visitors to Vietnam by air is estimated at 538,550, down 10.2% over the previous month; the number of visitors by road is estimated at 70,100, down 19.7%.

Photo for illustration purposes only: VNA

Explaining the reason for the sudden decrease, Mr. Le Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of the Tourism Market Department (General Department of Tourism), said that through preliminary assessment, the two major source markets, China and Russia, have both decreased sharply in recent times, directly affecting the number of international tourists to Vietnam this month.

The Russian tourist market, which has always been in the top 10 tourist markets in Vietnam, has decreased sharply, especially at the end of 2014.

In March 2015, the number of Russian tourists to Vietnam was estimated at 27,950, down 15.8% compared to the previous month and down 29.3% compared to the same period last year.

The main reason for this decline is the political and economic tensions between Russia and Western countries that have caused many fluctuations in the country's economy. This has affected the travel needs of Russian people.

In addition, the value of the ruble has fallen sharply, so when Russian tourists travel, the cost will double. In addition, the Russian economy is also facing many difficulties, causing many businesses to have to cut salaries, income to decrease, and prices of many goods to increase due to limited supply, especially the supply of imported goods. Therefore, the lives of Russians face more difficulties, causing the demand for travel to Vietnam and other countries to decrease.

Besides, the number of Chinese tourists - Vietnam's number 1 tourist market in March reached 103,670 arrivals, down 18.3% compared to the previous month and down 45.6% compared to the same period in 2014.

The decline is mainly due to China's illegal placement of an oil rig in the East Sea in June 2014, which has caused the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam to drop sharply. Although there have been signs of recovery recently, the number is still weak.

According to the general assessment, the image of Vietnam tourism is emerging and attracting a lot of attention from international tourists. This April, with many major tourism events being held, the number of international tourists to Vietnam is expected to grow again.

According to Vietnam+