Before the coronavirus outbreak, Hanoi’s tourism industry contributed 12.54 percent of Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) but 2020 saw a decline of 3.4 percent due to Covid-19, said Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, Vuong Dinh Hue.
The recovery of the tourism industry will be one of the factors to achieve growth targets, create jobs, contribute to the State budget and ensure income for residents, he stressed at a working session on the implementation of the Resolution 06-NQ/TU on tourism development between the Hanoi Party Committee's Standing Board and the capital’s Department of Tourism on January 19.
According to Director of Hanoi’s Department of Tourism, Dang Huong Giang, the city’s tourism industry has an average growth rate of 17.6 per year in the 2016-2019 period. The revenue was VND103, 812 billion (US$4.5 billion) in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic has a huge impact on the tourism industry. Additionally, the tourism sector of Hanoi is facing a number of limitations, such as service quality of destinations, the lack of experimental products, and the synchronism of the accommodation system. Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, Vu The Binh said that Hanoi has not been a real tourist destination, but a transit-place for visitors before travelling to other attractions. The capital should focus on organizing big events and activities to attract travelers, especially local tourists.
By Quoc Lap – Translated by Kim Khanh