Foreign tourists to Hanoi decline

      Nearly 1 million foreign tourists visited Hanoi this March, a drop of 27.6 percent against the same period last year, according to the municipal Provincial People’s Committee.
Also, the number of Vietnamese tourists travelling overseas was down by 20-30 percent in 2009 compared to 2008.
The sharp decrease is due to the global economic downturn and tourists are choosing closer and cheaper destinations.
In addition, tourist promotions have not proved very effective, affecting the overall numbers. Meanwhile, simplifying the procedures for tourists coming into Vietnam is still carried out very slowly.
Although the number of tourists has dropped sharply, the turnover of hotels and travel agencies in Hanoi has risen by 18.3 percent as accommodation and transport services are now much better than last year.