The Cuu Long (Mekong) region is seeing a fall in the number of tourist arrival due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Phu Quoc island may see a fall of tourist arrivals this month due
to the COVID-19 outbreak (Photo: vietnamtourism.gov.vn) 

According to Can Tho city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the city attracted 813,000 visitors during Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, a year-on-year increase of 4.5 percent, but the number of visitors has been down in January and February.

Local tourism agencies announced that many tours to and from Can Tho have been cancelled.

Dong Thap province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism forecasts that the number of arrivals would decrease by 50 percent.

Can Tho and Dong Thap asked tourism areas to focus on upgrading facilities, building new attractions and tours, and training staff to be ready to welcome visitors when the COVID-19 epidemic ends.

They also asked tourism agencies, hotels and restaurants to create tourism promotion plans, discount programmes, and new tourism products.

An Giang province is preparing for an annual Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival on Sam Mountain in Chau Doc town. It will be held from the 23rd to the 27th day of the fourth lunar month, or May 15-19.

Nguyen Khanh Hiep, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “The province expects to welcome a huge number of visitors during the festival.”

According to the Kien Giang province’s Tourism Department, many resorts on Phu Quoc Island are facing challenges because the number of visitors, particularly foreigners, is expected to drop dramatically this month.

In 2019, Phu Quoc welcomed 8.78 million visitors, an increase of 13.9 percent compared to 2018.