Accordingly, the State budget investment in February focused on implementing work immediately after the Lunar New Year holiday, accelerating the progress of implementing public investment projects starting from the beginning of the year, especially transitional projects. In general, in the first two months of 2024, the implementation of state budget investment reached 8.4% of the plan, an increase of 2.1% compared to the same period last year. Foreign direct investment (FDI) implemented in Vietnam in the first two months of 2024 reached 2.8 billion USD, an increase of 9.8% compared to the same period last year. The total registered foreign investment in Vietnam as of February 20, 2024, including: newly registered capital, adjusted registered capital, and value of capital contribution, share purchase by foreign investors reached nearly 4.29 billion USD, an increase of 38.6% compared to the same period last year.
In the first two months of 2024, the total export and import turnover of goods reached 113.96 billion USD, an increase of 18.6% compared to the same period last year, of which exports increased by 19.2% and imports increased by 18%. The trade balance of goods showed a surplus of 4.72 billion USD.
February coincides with the Lunar New Year, so the demand for consumption, shopping, and tourism of the people increased, leading to a 8.5% increase in the total retail sales of goods and revenue from consumer services compared to the same period last year. In the first two months of 2024, the total retail sales of goods and revenue from consumer services increased by 8.1% compared to the same period last year, of which revenue from accommodation and food services increased by 14% and revenue from travel services increased by 35.8%.
Thanks to the effectiveness of favorable visa policies, stimulus programs for tourism, as well as the efforts of the government and the people, the number of international visitors to Vietnam in February 2024 reached more than 1.5 million people, an increase of 1.3% compared to the previous month and an increase of 64.1% compared to the same period last year. In the first two months of 2024, the number of international visitors to our country reached more than 3 million people, an increase of 68.7% compared to the same period last year and equal to 98.5% compared to the same period in 2019 – the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
