2 months prove Vietnam's ambition of 25 million foreign visitors

In early November, the National Tourism Administration announced that in the past 10 months, Vietnam welcomed nearly 17.2 million international visitors, an increase of 21.5% over the same period last year.

Thus, the tourism industry achieved 74-78% of the target announced at the beginning of the year (22-23 million visitors) and 68% of the adjusted target in August (25 million visitors).

"The tourism industry is witnessing an impressive leap forward, clearly demonstrating the industry's strong resilience and flexible regulatory capacity after a period of many fluctuations," Dr. Duong Duc Minh, Deputy Director of the Institute for Economic and Tourism Development Research, told Tri Thuc - Znews.

INTERNATIONAL VISITORS TO VIETNAM IN THE PAST 10 MONTHS
Source: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
Label		January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October
	Million views	2.07	1,894	2,054	1,655	1,528	1,463	1,563	1,685	1,523	1,733

The numbers speak for themselves.

According to Mr. Minh, these "telling numbers" mark a record milestone, reflecting the trend of Vietnam's tourism shifting from seasonal to year-round activities. In October alone, the industry welcomed 1.73 million international visitors, a historic high compared to the same period, even surpassing the peak of the summer.

This development shows that Vietnam is reducing its dependence on traditional peaks, moving towards a continuous operation model, helping to optimize infrastructure, stabilize employment and expand revenue sources.

International tourists visit Ben Thanh market (HCMC) earlier this year. Photo: Linh Huynh.

Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Deputy General Director of Viet Tourism Company, said that in addition to traditional markets such as Europe and Australia, this year South Korea and China are the two inbound markets (foreigners coming to Vietnam) with the largest proportion of visitors.

Korean tourists come to Vietnam almost all year round, not only for beach tours and resorts but also for high-end golf tours. Their itineraries range from Long Thanh, Vung Tau to 5-star resorts in Da Nang , Nha Trang, even in the low season.

Meanwhile, Chinese tourists have recovered strongly in Nha Trang and Ha Long. At the same time, the number of tourists going through Mong Cai border gate on short tours has increased in the last months of the year.

"Destinations favored by international tourists include Ha Long, Da Nang, Hoi An, and Phu Quoc, in addition to the need for local experiences, green tourism, and adventure," said Mr. Vu.

TOP 10 MARKETS SENDING CUSTOMERS TO VIETNAM IN THE PAST 10 MONTHS
Source: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
Label		China	Korea	Taiwan	America	Japan	India	Cambodia	Russia	Malaysia	Australia
	Million visitors	4.3	3,599	1,033	0.685	0.679	0.575	0.55	0.502	0.455	0.447

What is the thrust?

In the past 10 months, Vietluxtour Travel Company recorded that the structure of international visitors tended to be similar to the general picture of the whole country, besides some unique highlights.

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of the unit, commented that the strong growth of international visitors is the result of a combination of macro factors and efforts from the industry, businesses and destinations.

▸ Flexible visa policy and entry procedures : Expanding visa exemption, extending the length of stay and applying e-visa to many countries makes Vietnam more accessible. For groups served by the unit, the time to prepare documents and worries about procedures are significantly reduced.

▸ Improved aviation capacity and flight connections : Many direct and charter flights from China, Korea, Japan, and India to Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc shorten travel time, increasing Vietnam's attractiveness as a "close, convenient, and multi-experience" destination.

Tourist Mei (in blue shirt), from Japan, enjoys experiencing the traditional Vietnamese ao dai. Photo: Linh Huynh.

▸ Safe, friendly, and affordable image : After the pandemic, Vietnam stands out with its safe tourism environment, friendly people, rich cuisine, and competitive costs, creating advantages for first-time and returning visitors.

▸ Tourism products are constantly renewed : Enterprises develop many new product lines, from golf tours, MICE, cultural - culinary experiences, health care tourism to tourism combined with investment surveys.

"The growth in international tourist arrivals in recent years is not only a 'rebound effect' after Covid-19, but also shows that Vietnamese tourism is developing into a more strategic and systematic international destination," said Ms. Thu.

Drosev Dimitar (Bulgaria) participated in the Ao Dai performance for the 5th time in the ancient costume parade around Nguyen Hue walking street (HCMC), March 8. Photo: Linh Huynh.

According to Dr. Duong Duc Minh, this is not accidental growth but the result of a solid structural shift in competitiveness, management policies and destination attractiveness.

In addition to the fundamental factors of the open and flexible visa policy; improved infrastructure capacity and aviation connectivity as Ms. Thu mentioned; experts found another reason is the resonance of regional holidays such as "Golden Week" (China) and "Chuseok" (Korea) in October, creating a strong wave of short-term tourism.

With its geographical advantages, reasonable costs and flexible service capacity, Vietnam has become the top choice for Northeast Asian tourists. Direct flights from China and South Korea operate at high frequency, helping to effectively exploit the "regional tourism peak".

"The record number of visitors in October reflects the resilience of policies, infrastructure and consumer behavior, proving that Vietnam has overcome the recovery phase and entered a period of stable and sustainable development, with a new competitive position in the Asian region," said Mr. Minh.

Ambition?

At the beginning of the year, the tourism industry set a target of welcoming 22-23 million international visitors. In August, the Government assigned a target of striving to reach at least 25 million international visitors for the whole year.

According to Dr. Duong Duc Minh, the target of 22-23 million international arrivals is ambitious but completely feasible. This figure reflects the strong desire for recovery of the tourism industry, while also placing high demands on management capacity, infrastructure and product quality.

"If we maintain an average growth rate of 1.7-1.8 million arrivals per month, we can complete the set target. Meanwhile, the milestone of 25 million arrivals can only be achieved when the entire system operates synchronously and has strong policy incentives," experts said.

Phu Quy and Con Dao are still unfamiliar destinations for international visitors. Photo: Linh Huynh, Quynh Danh.

Meanwhile, according to Ms. Thu, 25 million international visitors is a high ambition but not impossible, if a number of prerequisites are met:

Stable policies and clear communication to create trust for airlines, partners and travelers
Infrastructure and human resources are ready for a rapid growth scenario, avoiding the phenomenon of "crowded but not happy"
Tourism products are rich and different, not just focusing on a few familiar destinations.

Dr. Duong Duc Minh emphasized that growth is not only in quantity but also reflects the market's absorption capacity and the level of autonomy of the destination system.

The three core factors for breakthrough include: accessibility (visa, aviation), product appeal (special experiences, seasonal events) and service quality (service attitude, safety, smart infrastructure).

Challenge

However, rapid growth also poses new challenges. Tourism infrastructure and human resources need to adjust to changing seasonal rhythms; climate change and natural disasters in the central region may affect the service supply chain.

At the same time, visa policies need to be maintained stably and communicated more clearly to ensure effective attraction of international visitors.

“The 25 million target is challenging, but also a sign of the tourism industry's confidence in the transition from recovery to quality growth.

When solutions are implemented in the right direction, this number is no longer far-fetched but becomes a reasonable step in affirming the position of Vietnamese tourism in the region and internationally," the expert said.

Foreign tourists try to cool off from the hot weather in Ho Chi Minh City in March. Photo: Linh Huynh .

According to Ms. Thu, to improve competitiveness compared to other destinations in the region, some service groups need to be prioritized for strong improvement.

▸ First is the infrastructure and experience at the airport and border gates. Check-in procedures, multilingual signs, service quality at the pick-up and drop-off areas, taxis, technology cars, etc. need to be more consistent, professional and transparent.

▸ Second is domestic transportation and destination connectivity. The quality of roads, parking lots, vehicles, especially connections to new tourist destinations, is still a "minus point" in the eyes of many tourists.

Long commute times or lack of security will make it difficult for the product to compete with Thailand, Singapore or Malaysia, where transport infrastructure is well-rated.

▸ Third is consistent service quality. Many tourists appreciate hotels and travel agencies, but are not satisfied with restaurants, attractions or shopping services. Establishing a set of minimum standards and a clear monitoring and ranking mechanism will help improve the overall service level.

▸ Fourth , the foreign language ability and service skills of frontline staff also need to be enhanced. Teams at destinations, restaurants or service establishments need to be trained in foreign languages, behavior and situation handling skills. Just one tactless answer can affect the overall impression of the trip.

Source: https://znews.vn/2-thang-chung-minh-tham-vong-25-trieu-luot-khach-ngoai-cua-viet-nam-post1603230.html