South Korean tourist welcomed as 9 millionth visitor to central Vietnam’s Khanh Hoa province

An Jin Yeong of South Korea, who arrived on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Incheon at Cam Ranh International Airport on Friday, was welcomed as the 9 millionth tourist to visit Khanh Hoa province this year.

She was welcomed at the airport by Le Huu Hoang, permanent vice chairman of the provincial People's Committee as well as officials of the Department of Tourism and the Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association. They presented gifts to her and the 8,999,999th and 9,000,001st visitors to Khanh Hoa this year.

Hoang said that welcoming the nine millionth visitor in 2024 was a significant milestone for Khanh Hoa tourism. He expressed hope that visitors would share and promote information about the attractions of Nha Trang town and Khanh Hoa province with friends and family, particularly among the South Korean community.

According to the Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism, the province received more than nine million tourists in the first nine months of the year, up 57.9% year-on-year. This includes about 3.6 million international visitors, reflecting a 147.9% rise, and approximately 5.4 million domestic tourists, an increase of 27.2%.

Khanh Hoa province in central Vietnam is preparing to build the Van Phong airport with an investment of VND7,892 billion ($311 million) under the public-private partnership (PPP) format.

In a draft document sent to the Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), Khanh Hoa authorities noted the project was part of the province’s 2021-2030 master plan, with a vision until 2050.

The 497-hectare airport will be located in Van Ninh district, 101 kilometers away from the province’s Cam Ranh international airport and 49 kilometers away from Tuy Hoa airport in the neighboring province of Phu Yen.