A historic moment for Vietnamese tourism - welcoming its 20 millionth international visitor.

This historic milestone was recently recorded at Phu Quoc International Airport, when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, in coordination with the People's Committee of An Giang province and local businesses, organized a ceremony to welcome the 20 millionth international tourist to Vietnam.

The welcoming ceremony was held in a solemn manner with rituals to greet the delegation at the aircraft, presenting flowers, showcasing traditional art, and announcing and presenting certificates and souvenirs to three special guests: the 19,999,999th, 20,000,000th, and 20,000,001st guests, with the sponsorship of Sun Group and Ngoc Hien Pearl.

Ceremony to welcome the 20 millionth international tourist to Vietnam.

The gifts for the 20 millionth visitor are worth nearly 500 million VND, including a high-end pearl necklace worth 200 million VND; a complete package of round-trip business class air tickets on Sun PhuQuoc Airways, a stay at a 5-star hotel, a Michelin culinary experience voucher, golf, a cruise to explore the southern part of Phu Quoc Island, and a priority card for using entertainment services within the Sun Group ecosystem, worth up to 300 million VND.

The 19,999,999th and 20,000,001st visitors also received gifts worth over 200 million VND each, including high-quality pearls and vouchers for products and services within the Sun Group system.

In addition, all passengers on the lucky flight received welcome flowers and tickets to the "Kiss of the Sea" show in Sunset Town (Phu Quoc).

The special guests were deeply moved by the warm welcome from national and local tourism leaders.

Deeply moved upon receiving special gifts bearing the distinctive mark of the pearl island, Karolina Agnieszka Muskus from Poland, the 20 millionth visitor, shared: “Right now, I am truly moved to tears. I feel so lucky to be here and have the opportunity to come to Vietnam. Your country is so beautiful. The people are friendly, warm, and open. I want to say: 'I love Vietnam' and 'Hello Vietnam'. This is a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life. This is my first time in Vietnam, but it certainly won't be my last. I will recommend all my friends and relatives in Poland to visit this wonderful country.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Ho An Phong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, emphasized: Vietnam officially welcoming 20 million international tourists in 2025 is a historic milestone, the first in the 65-year history of Vietnam's tourism industry. This event demonstrates the strong, sustainable, and remarkable recovery of Vietnamese tourism in the context of the global tourism industry having just experienced an unprecedented deep decline due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vietnam officially welcoming 20 million international tourists in a single year marks a historic milestone, the first in the 65-year history of Vietnam's tourism industry.

Since Vietnam fully reopened to international tourism on March 15, 2022, the number of international visitors has continuously grown strongly. By 2025, Vietnam's tourism is expected to reach approximately 21 million visitors, far exceeding the 18 million visitors of 2019 - the period before the pandemic. With a growth rate of 21%, Vietnam's tourism is considered among the fastest-growing countries in the world, while the global tourism average is only 5%.

Furthermore, the milestone of 20 million international tourists recorded in Phu Quoc holds profound symbolic significance. This is not only a source of pride for the island, but also represents a rapidly growing destination, a pioneer in innovation, reflecting a dynamic, open Vietnam ready for deep integration with the world, aiming to make tourism a truly leading economic sector in the new development phase.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giay-phut-lich-su-cua-du-lich-viet-nam-don-khach-quoc-te-thu-20-trieu-185251215160647678.htm