HANOI, Vietnam – In January 2022, Vietnam welcomed nearly 19,700 international arrivals, up 11.2 percent year on year, attributed mainly to pilot tourism programmes and the resumption of regular flights, according to the country's General Statistics Office.

According to reports, foreign visitors entering the country by air accounted for 88 percent of all visitors, followed by road (11.9 percent) and marine routes (0.1 percent). According to the bureau, Asia accounted for the majority of the arrivals (70.2 percent).

Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, Vietnam closed its border and grounded all international flights in March 2020, allowing only Vietnamese repatriates, foreign experts, and highly-skilled workers to enter on special planes and subject to quarantine restrictions.

Since November 2021, the country has been testing quarantine-free tourism programmes to welcome back overseas visitors. Beginning January 1 of this year, it began regular commercial flights to a number of international destinations that were highly safe from Covid-19.

According to the office, Vietnam received only 157,300 international arrivals in 2021, down 95.9 percent year on year, owing to the pandemic's effects.

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