Plump mangosteens, cheap iPhở shirts, freshly ground coffee, and paper cut-outs of city landmarks — there was a time when the northern gate of Ben Thanh Market was lined door-to-door with dynamic shops enticing tourists to sample their eclectic range of products.
That was just six months ago, when Vietnam was basking in an unprecedented amount of attention from international visitors. According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, January saw the arrival of 1.99 million foreign tourists, the most the country has ever hosted in a month on record.
Unfortunately, the golden period didn’t last long, as just a month later, the world came to a halt after the COVID-19 pandemic grounded international flights, emptied personal savings, and cast serious doubts on the very concept of globalization.
More @ Saigoneer
No comments:
Post a Comment