Vietnam top Southeast Asia source market for South Korea tourism

With over 435,000 visits recorded in the year to mid-October, Vietnam tops Southeast Asia as a source market for South Korean tourism, officials say.

In 2023, Vietnam was the fifth largest tourism market for South Korea in the world, with around 420,000 visitors.

South Korea’s status as an increasingly favored destination among Vietnamese travelers was highlighted at a recent event called Incheon Night 2024 held in Ho Chi Minh City.

The event aimed to promote and enhance two-way tourism between Vietnam and South Korea in general and Incheon in particular.

Baig Hyeon, director of the Incheon Tourism Promotion Agency, said the South Korean city is committed to attracting more Vietnamese tourists by simplifying exit and entry procedures and revising visa policies.

He said Incheon, along with the South Korean consulate in Vietnam, is working to streamline visa processes for both individual and group travelers. The city was also focused on improving accommodation infrastructure and developing its tourism services to better serve both locals and visitors, he added.

Meanwhile, approximately 3.7 million South Korean tourists visited Vietnam in the first 10 months of the year, up 28% year-on-year.

Nguyen Cam Tu, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center, said that South Korea is a key source of international visitors for Vietnam in general and HCMC in particular.

He noted that in 2023, South Korea was among the largest tourist markets for the city, with over 524,000 arrivals. In the first nine months of 2024, the number had already reached 468,000, accounting for 11.7% of international arrivals to the city and 13.9% of South Korean visitors to Vietnam.

This growth reflects the strong and sustainable development of tourism cooperation between the two countries, he added.