According to the Information Center, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism , since officially reopening in March 2022, Vietnam's tourism industry has made very strong recovery steps. If in 2022, the number of international visitors reached 3.7 million, then in 2023 it reached 12.6 million and by 2024 it reached 17.6 million (an increase of 40% compared to 2023 and 4.7 times higher than in 2022).
The spectacular recovery
With this result, Vietnam's tourism industry recorded the best recovery rate in the ASEAN region, higher than famous tourist destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines... Specifically, with 17.6 million international arrivals, reaching 98% compared to 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam's tourism industry has almost fully recovered. Meanwhile, other developed tourism countries have achieved much lower levels such as Malaysia reaching 94%, Thailand recovering at 88%, Singapore and Indonesia both recovering at 86% and the Philippines reaching 72%. In terms of international visitors, the total number of international visitors to Vietnam also surpassed Singapore (16.5 million), rising to third place after Thailand (35 million) and Malaysia (expected 24.5 million). The number of international visitors to Vietnam is much higher than that of Indonesia (expected 13.8 million) and the Philippines (5.9 million).
According to the Indonesian newspaper Tempo, this impressive growth is directly related to the open visa policies of the Vietnamese Government . Accordingly, Vietnam is currently applying e-visas for citizens of all countries and territories and exempting visas for citizens of 13 countries, extending the temporary stay period to 45 days, an increase of 30 days compared to the previous regulation. In addition, in 2024, the Government launched an e-visa portal for foreigners, making the e-visa application process simpler and more convenient for international visitors.
Appreciating the potential of Vietnam's tourism resources, Tempo newspaper also affirmed that Vietnam is not only a world-famous historical destination, but also possesses spectacular natural wonders, unique culture and rich cuisine that attract international tourists. Visitors will have the opportunity to go back in time to explore the historical imprints and nostalgic beauty of Hoi An ancient town ( Quang Nam ), War Remnants Museum, Cu Chi Tunnels (Ho Chi Minh City) or Hue Imperial City. "With a spectacular recovery thanks to open tourism policies and advantages in nature, culture, history and cuisine, Vietnam is affirming its position as a leading tourist center in the region, an attractive, safe and friendly destination, always welcoming international visitors to experience and explore the endless beauty of the country and its people".
New record
According to the latest data, the number of international visitors to Vietnam in January 2025 reached nearly 2.1 million, an increase of 18.5% compared to the previous month and an increase of 36.9% compared to the same period in 2024 - a new record for the tourism industry. Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, acknowledged that this result was achieved thanks to the efforts of the entire industry over the past time, such as issuing documents and resolutions to facilitate tourism development; innovating tourism promotion and advertising in terms of market, content, methods, and scale; effectively exploiting the public-private partnership mechanism; the active participation of localities, associations, and businesses; developing new products suitable to the country's potential strengths and the needs and tastes of tourists after the pandemic such as agricultural tourism, railway tourism, night tourism, health care, resorts, etc.
Along with that, communication and promotion activities on digital platforms continue to be promoted, contributing to spreading the tourism brand and attracting international visitors to Vietnam. Expanding cooperation in bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms is also a highlight contributing to enhancing the presence of Vietnamese tourism in the region and the world. "Positive signals from the tourism market in the first month of 2025 are opening up many hopes for a bright future for Vietnamese tourism with the goal of welcoming and serving 22 - 23 million international tourists".
From another perspective, Ms. Dinh Thuy Phuong, Director of the Department of Trade and Service Statistics (General Statistics Office) said that despite the increase in 2024, international visitors to Vietnam only reached 97.8% of the target of 18 million visitors and only 97.6% of 2019 - the year before the Covid-19 pandemic. Notably, the traditional market of China has only recovered at 64%, Japan reached 75%; Thailand and Malaysia both achieved a recovery rate of 82%. Therefore, the target of welcoming 22-23 million international visitors in 2025 is very challenging.
Therefore, in addition to continuing to improve visa policies, the tourism industry needs to continue to promote and seek out and expand new markets, promote entertainment activities to help visitors extend their stay; improve the quality of tourism products and promote promotional activities. Tourism development must ensure sustainability through the application of information technology, artificial intelligence and digital transformation in promoting tourism images, while improving service quality to attract and meet the needs of international visitors to Vietnam.
According to some experts, the sudden increase in international visitors is not enough to confirm a long-term trend. The world economic situation is still unstable, many hot spots are still complicated, creating potential risks... All of these factors can affect the number of tourists coming to Vietnam in the future.
In addition, there are also opinions that Vietnam's tourism industry is recovering relatively slowly compared to other countries in the region. Specifically, in 2024, the total number of international tourists to Vietnam will reach nearly 17.6 million, while the figures in Thailand and Malaysia are 35 million and 27 million, respectively. At the same time, Vietnam's target of 22-23 million international visitors in 2025 is low compared to Thailand's target of welcoming foreign visitors from 39 million to 40 million. The number of international tourists is only part of the overall picture of Vietnam's tourism. Many businesses reflect the reality that foreign tours are selling well, while domestic tours are still "waiting for customers". The inability to develop domestic visitors will make it difficult to ensure the sustainable development of the industry.
To take advantage of opportunities and continue the growth momentum, the tourism industry still has a lot of work to do. Tourism infrastructure, especially transportation and accommodation, is still a vital condition. Improving service quality to better meet the needs of international tourists is an inevitable path. We have done well in promotional campaigns, especially through digital platforms and social networks, but we still need to further promote this activity. If policies continue to be optimized and the tourism industry maintains its commitment to sustainable development, Vietnam can absolutely rise to a higher position on the world tourism map.
In 2024, tourists from South Korea to Vietnam will top the list with 4.5 million arrivals (accounting for 25.98%). China will be in second place, reaching 3.7 million arrivals (accounting for 21.26%).
Source: https://nhandan.vn/viet-nam-dan-dau-phuc-hoi-du-lich-post862256.html
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