International visitors to Vietnam in March highest since the beginning of the year

In the first quarter of 2024, the total number of international visitors reached more than 4.6 million, an increase of 72% over the same period last year and an increase of 3.2% over the same period in 2019.

The number of international visitors to Vietnam in March reached nearly 1.6 million. Photo: Thuy Ha

According to the Information Center (Vietnam National Administration of Tourism ), March 2024 witnessed very good growth in many markets compared to February 2024, including: Japan increased by 53%, Belgium increased by 41%, France increased by 29%, Italy increased by 27%, Indonesia increased by 24%, Singapore increased by 23%, Thailand increased by 23%, Malaysia increased by 21%, India increased by 12%. Notably, the large market of China continued to recover positively, reaching 352 thousand arrivals, up 19% compared to the previous month .

According to the general assessment, in the first quarter, South Korea continued to be the largest market sending visitors to Vietnam with 1.2 million arrivals (accounting for 26.6%). China ranked second, reaching 890 thousand arrivals (accounting for 19%), followed by Taiwan (China) in third place (300 thousand arrivals) and the US (232 thousand arrivals).

In the top 10 largest markets of Vietnamese tourism, there are also Japan (179 thousand arrivals), Malaysia (144 thousand arrivals), Australia (133 thousand arrivals), Thailand (119 thousand arrivals), India (116 thousand arrivals), Cambodia (114 thousand arrivals).

The Department of Tourism stated that in the first quarter of 2024, major markets in Northeast Asia continued to grow strongly, which was the main driving force for the recovery of international visitors. Markets in Southeast Asia grew well, including Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The Thai market alone decreased by 18.3%.

In addition, markets in Europe have grown vigorously, including major markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Russia. These are all markets that enjoy a unilateral visa exemption policy for entry into Vietnam with a temporary stay of up to 45 days.

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