A series of international tourist markets to Vietnam increased 'hugely'

For the first time since the pandemic, international visitors to Vietnam surpassed their pre-pandemic peak in 2019, reaching over 4.6 million in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 3.2%.

This result is thanks to the tremendous growth in many tourist markets compared to the same period last year. Specifically, major markets in Northeast Asia continued to grow strongly, being the main driving force for the recovery of international tourist arrivals to Vietnam. In particular, the Chinese market increased by 534.5% compared to the same period in 2023, Taiwan by 127.3%, South Korea by 52%, and Japan by 52.7%. Nearby markets in Southeast Asia also showed good growth, including Indonesia (118.5%), the Philippines (52.6%), Malaysia (24.6%), Cambodia (19.1%), and Singapore (8.6%).

Loạt thị trường khách quốc tế đến Việt Nam tăng 'khủng'

Notably, European tourist markets experienced vibrant growth, with France increasing by 29.3%, Italy by 27.1%, the UK by 15.0%, and Germany by 15.8%. These markets benefit from Vietnam's unilateral visa exemption policy, allowing temporary stays of up to 45 days. Overall, the number of international tourists has almost fully recovered and even increased compared to the first quarter of 2019 – the year Vietnam attracted the most international tourists in its history. Specifically, the number of tourists from Australia reached 120% compared to the same period in 2019; Asia reached 104%, the Americas reached 103%, the US alone reached 106%, and Europe has almost fully recovered, reaching 97%. For China, a market that had been the leading source of Vietnamese tourism for many years, recovery in 2023 was 30% compared to 2019, but in the first three months of 2024, the recovery rate had already reached 69%, showing positive signs.

According to tourism expert Nguyen Duc Chi, the surge in international tourists to Vietnam in the first quarter was due to it being the peak season. However, he also acknowledged that the expansion of e-visa policies to all countries, extending the validity to 90 days, and increasing the length of stay for 13 visa-free countries stimulated the return of tourists to Vietnam. Nevertheless, the structure of tourists has changed significantly, with more independent travelers following global trends, while the number of tourists traveling through organized tours or group tours is still relatively low. As a result, domestic travel companies have complained about a lack of customers. "I've noticed that most English-speaking tour guides are accompanying small family groups, with few large groups. The visa policies we are implementing are probably attracting more independent travelers," Mr. Chi emphasized.

In terms of market size in Q1 2024, South Korea continued to be the largest source of tourists to Vietnam with 1.2 million arrivals (accounting for 26.6%). China ranked second with 890,000 arrivals (19%), followed by Taiwan in third place (300,000) and the United States (232,000). The top 10 largest markets for Vietnamese tourism also included Japan (179,000 arrivals), Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, India, and Cambodia.

Thanhnien.vn

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