HANOI – Vietnam received approximately 992,000 foreign visitors in the first quarter of this year, down by 16 percent from the same period last year, according to official statistics.
The number of visitors coming from Vietnam’s traditional markets such as China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Taiwan decreased by 11-25 percent as compared with last year.
Only the US, Australian and Canadian markets saw rises of between 5-17 percent.
Travel companies blamed the downward trend on the global financial crisis and economic recession and the ineffective cooperation among domestic tourism businesses in implementing tourism stimulus packages.
As reported by TravelMole (May 26), Vietnam National Administration of Tourism’s strategy to create low-cost tours amid the economic downturn is in danger of disintegrating as hotels refuse to reduce prices.
Some hotels are reluctant to reduce their rates because it could affect their prestige, while others are afraid that if they cut tariffs now, they would be unable to raise them in the future.
Other hotels said they were still waiting for the government’s incentives for those involved in the campaign, mainly related to taxes and electricity and water prices.
