Vietnam on Wednesday banned tourists from areas of South Korea which were hit by the novel coronavirus, further impacting the tourism sector adversely.
The government in a news release said that people from those areas who needed to come to Vietnam for other reasons must be quarantined for 14 days when entering the country. The announcement came after the number of cases of the coronavirus reported in South Korea went about 1,100.
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Last year, South Korea accounted for a quarter of Vietnam’s 18 million tourists – the biggest group after Chinese visitors who have also been affected due to the virus.
Nha Trang, a coastal resort city in southern Vietnam that is famously known for its beaches, diving sites and offshore islands has no tourists while shops are shut which would otherwise be bustling with tourists.
Many guests have also cancelled bookings recently.
Earlier, Vietnamese state media had also reported that the coronavirus epidemic could wipe $5.9 billion to $7.7 billion from Vietnam’s tourism earnings in the next three months due to international travellers staying away from the region.
Flights have also been affected as Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways and Vietjet canceled flights to South Korea.