Vietnam welcomes over 1 million international visitors for the fourth consecutive month

For four consecutive months, Vietnam welcomed more than one million international visitors, reaching nearly 10 million visitors in the first 10 months of the year.

According to data from the National Tourism Administration and the General Statistics Office on October 29, Vietnam welcomed more than 1.1 million visitors in October, the fourth consecutive month welcomed more than one million international visitors. In the first 10 months of the year, the total number of international visitors reached nearly 10 million, up 4.2 times over the same period last year and equal to 69% compared to 2019. The results achieved far exceeded the target set at the beginning of the year of welcoming 8 million visitors this year.

In October, more than 5.2 million domestic tourists traveled, of which 3.7 million stayed. The total number of domestic tourists in the first 10 months of the year reached nearly 100 million.

Spanish pose tourists in Hoi An in September. Photo: Nguyen Anh Tuan

In early October, the Ministry of Culture , Sports and Tourism (MCST) said it would report to the Government to raise the target of welcoming international visitors in 2023 from 8 million to 12.5-13 million. This figure is considered "completely achievable" by tourism experts in Vietnam. Earlier this year, TAB released its forecast of the number of international visitors to Vietnam during the year and each month. It is expected that by the end of the year, Vietnam will welcome 12-13 million visitors, which coincides with the figure that MOSTST expects to raise.

South Korea remains the largest market for visitors in the first 10 months of the year with 2.9 million arrivals. Mainland China ranked second with 1.3 million arrivals. The remaining markets, in order, were the US (667,000), Taiwan (606,000), Japan (469,000), Thailand (392,000), Malaysia (372,000), Cambodia (326,000), Australia and India (both reaching 314,000 arrivals).

In Europe, the three largest markets sending visitors to Vietnam include the UK (206,000 arrivals), France (169,000), and Germany (159,000). Vietnam's peak tourist season in the first 10 months of the year for international visitors is August with more than 1.2 million arrivals and domestic visitors is June, with more than 13.5 million arrivals.

Total tourism revenue in the first 10 months of the year is estimated at nearly VND583,000 billion, reaching nearly 90% of the year's target of VND650,000 billion. The General Statistics Office assesses that in the general difficult situation of the economy , the service - tourism sector is considered a bright spot, making an important contribution to the country's economic growth. According to the Socio-Economic Report for the first 3 quarters of the year, the service - tourism sector grew by 6.24%, contributing 53.34% to the overall GDP growth.

Regarding growth drivers in October, the National Tourism Administration commented that most major markets grew, with the "big driver" coming from the Thai market with a growth rate of 35%, followed by Taiwan with a growth rate of 18.7%, Australia with a growth rate of 17.2%, India with a growth rate of 15.5%. South Korea increased by 3.4%, mainland China increased by 6.8% and the US with a growth rate of 8.9%.

In the first 10 months of the year, the number of Thai visitors to Vietnam reached 392,000, an increase of nearly 3.5 times compared to the same period last year of 114,000 and almost equal to the pre-pandemic level of 397,000. In October, the number of Thai visitors reached nearly 41,000, equal to 128% compared to September.

A Thai Airways plane made its first return flight at Noi Bai airport on October 29 after many years of delays due to Covid-19. Photo: HG

HG Aviation Chairman Ngo Minh Duc said that Vietnam and Thailand have the advantage of many flights, airlines, and close geographical distance. It takes passengers about two hours to fly from Bangkok to Hanoi. If going to Ho Chi Minh City, the flight time is about 70-80 minutes.

Vnexpress.net