During this year’s holiday season, Hanoi welcomed just 1,123 international tourists, a decrease of 97.7% compared to the same period of last year, data of the municipal Department of Tourism showed.

Most of them have been stranded in the city due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Immigration Management Division of the Hanoi Municipal Police Department. They came from 50 countries and territories in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania.

International tourists in Temple of Literature before the order of closure for tourist destinations. Photo: Lai Tan

From April 30 to May 2, tourist arrivals to Hanoi plunged 91.2% over the same period in 2019 to 21,123. Total revenue from tourism reached VND68 billion (US$2.9 million) during the three days, down 84.4% inter-annually.

From April 30 to May 3, the prices of hospitality services remained unchanged. The average occupancy of three- to five-star hotels reached about 13.4%.

It's noteworthy that hospitality businesses around Hanoi, especially those in Son Tay and Ba Vi, saw demand for their services increase on the national holidays of April 30 and May 1, according to the Hanoi Tourism Department.

As the social distancing order was loosened, many local residents wished to spend their leisure time at facilities near Hanoi. Some resorts in the city's outskirt reached occupancy rate of 65%, in the case of Asean Resort, or 60% of Tan Da and 30% of Khoang Xanh, the vacation spots nearby.

Despite reopening before the holiday season of April 30 and May 1, shopping malls and catering facilities witnessed experienced a 90% drop in visitors from the same period of 2019.

The number of tourists coming to the places of interest including the Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Center, Hanoi Ancient House at 87 Ma May street, Hanoi Book Street, Bao Son Paradise Park, Ba Vi National Park also fell sharply compared to a year earlier.

Other relic and tourist destinations in Hanoi remain closed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, such as Huong Pagoda, Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, Thu Le Park, Ngoc Son Temple, and museums.