European, U.S. tourist arrivals in Hoi An, Hue drop

European, U.S. tourist arrivals in Hoi An, Hue drop By Nhan Tam Western European visitors are seen in Hoi An Town – PHOTO: NHAN TAM DANANG – The number of European and U.S. visitors to their most preferred tourist destinations in the country, Hue City and Hoi An Town, has fallen sharply recently for various reasons including the strong rise in the number of Chinese and South Korean travelers. The latest report from the Hoi An Culture and Information Office shows that of the more than 1.6 million tourists in Hoi An Town in 2013 and the more than 3.3 million seen in 2017, international tourist arrivals accounted for 70%-75%. Also, Hoi An Town welcomed 4.55 million visitors over the January-September period, of which 3.4 million tourists were international ones. Nguyen Van Lanh, head of the Hoi An Culture and Information Office, said the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Canada have been considered the town’s major source markets for a long time. However, the number of tourists from these markets has plummeted over the last two years. Meanwhile, Chinese and South Korean tourist arrivals in the town are rising at a fast clip, representing some 70%-80% of the total international visitors. As such, the drop in arrivals from the traditional source markets was attributed to the steep rise in Chinese and South Korean tourists. Moreover, many direct air routes have been opened to connect China, South Korea and Japan with central Vietnam, resulting in the rapid growth in… [Read full story]