The number of visitors entering Vietnam has reached just 7% of pre-pandemic levels during the first six months of 2022 – although that number is growing – according to figures from the country’s General Statistics Office (GSO).
Vietnam has welcomed 602,000 foreign arrivals between January and June, almost seven times higher than during the same period in 2021 following the easing of most border restrictions for international travellers.
The GSO said 87% of visitors had arrived by air while 65%, or 392,000 visitors, were from Asia.
Although the numbers are still subdued, Vietnam is aiming to recover to 30% of 2019 levels by the end of the year as tourism picks up globally.
As previously reported by Inside Asian Gaming, Vietnam welcomed around 172,000 foreign visitors in May alone, representing a 70.6% increase over April and 12.8 times higher than the same month in 2021.
The country recently dropped a requirement for international arrivals to provide a negative COVID-19 test acquired prior to departure, having already ceased mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals as of 16 March and dropped health declaration requirements from 27 April in a bid to reignite its tourism industry.
