The tourism market has recovered since mid-April when social distancing measures against COVID-19 were eased, heard a conference held in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa on May 16.

The recovery was mainly thanks to the increasing demand of local travellers, according to insiders who added that the most searched destinations over the past month were Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Da Lat, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Hue and Quy Nhon.

An increasing number of people are looking for sea and island tourism places such as Vung Tau, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon and Ha Long Bay, as well as national parks like Phong Nha-Ke Bang, Ba Vi, Cuc Phuong, and Son Doong cave.

Some airlines and travel companies such as Bamboo Airways, Philippine Airlines, and Traveloka have launched preferential programmes to lure visitors.

Hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam’s tourism sector is likely to be one of the first to recover strongly after the pandemic is brought under control, according to an expert from Savills Vietnam.

Mauro Gasparotti, Director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific, said local travelers, which accounted for 82.5% of all tourists last year, are expected to rise in number within a short period of time, while international visitors will return at a slower but steady rate, especially those from China and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The number of foreign arrivals to Vietnam fell 18% year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, while the number of domestic travelers was down 6%. The sector’s revenue declined 11% compared to the same period of 2019.