Vietnam welcomed 8.9 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of the year, surpassing the year target of 8 million as the country relaxed visa policies.
The nine-month figure was up 4.7 times against the same period of last year but only equivalent to 69% of the level in pre-pandemic 2019, according to the General Statistics Office.
In September alone, international visitors to Vietnam reached over 1 million, down 13.4% against the previous month and up 2.4 times year-on-year.
South Korea was still the biggest source of tourists with 2.5 million arrivals, followed by mainland China (1.1 million), Taiwan (575,000) and the U.S. (548,000).
With the tourism industry already exceeding this year’s target, insiders expected Vietnam could welcome 12 million international tourists by year-end.
Tour operator Vietravel said that in the first eight months, the company had fulfilled 80% of its plan on international tourists, including the EU and South Korean markets.
Hanoitourist Corporation reported that it received many orders in the previous months for this year’s peak season. Tourists from Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan and the EU account for the majority, while the Indian market has emerged significantly.
Vietlux Travel noted that the number of international tourists coming to Vietnam by sea is expected to soar this year.
The country’s tourism industry is on the path to recovery, especially after the government relaxed visa policies to lure more international visitors during the peak international tourism season that lasts from October to April next year.
Starting August 15, Vietnam extended visa-free entry from 15 days to 45 days for passport holders from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. It has also extended the duration of e-visas from 30 days to three months with multiple entries.
Citizens of another 80 countries, including major economies such as India, Australia and the U.S. are currently eligible to enter the country using an e-visa.
Vietnam ranked 14th among the top 15 destinations for expats in 2023, according to results of an Expat Inside Survey by InterNations, considered the biggest global expat community.
The country was placed 19th in a list of 40 most visited travel destinations this summer based on an analysis of flight bookings by Spain-based leading travel data & analytics company ForwardKeys.
The number of international visitors to Vietnam by air this summer was 28% lower than the same period before the Covid-19 pandemic, but increased 12% over the same period last year, a ForwardKeys report said.
Vietnam received a record 18 million foreign tourists in pre-pandemic 2019.