The recent Lunar New Year holiday is believed to have boosted the momentum of international tourist arrivals to Vietnam.
Prior to that, January of this year saw a record high of 1.5 million international visitors, the highest since Vietnam reopened its doors to tourism. This figure is also equivalent to the number of international arrivals to Vietnam in January 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the Tet holiday, the capital city welcomed 103,000 international visitors, a 2.2-fold increase compared to the same period last year. Most visitors during this season came to Hanoi mainly from Europe.
Mr. Julian, a French tourist, said, “The atmosphere on the streets is very lively, and the weather is beautiful. I am enjoying a wonderful time here.”
International visitors increased simultaneously in many major tourist centers, some doubling or even tripling compared to the same period last year, such as Da Nang, Ninh Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City. Particularly, the number of visitors to Phu Quoc increased fivefold. Since the beginning of the year, dozens of ships carrying around 6,500 multi-national tourists have docked at ports across the country to experience a journey through Vietnam.
International visitors to Vietnam are at a record high. Illustration.
This year, some traditional markets like China and Japan are expected to recover due to national-level efforts. Last year, the Japanese government encouraged its citizens to travel to 24 foreign destinations, including Vietnam, to promote aviation and tourism.
Mr. Yoshida Kenji, the Head of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) in Vietnam, said, “With those efforts, we believe that the Japanese market to Vietnam will recover as in 2019.”
Shortening visa processing times, especially extending the stay of international visitors to 45 days, has had a positive effect on international tourists.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, Vietnam is expected to easily reach 18 million international visitors this year by increasing direct flights to many cities worldwide and implementing price policies to stimulate demand as Vietnam has always been a favorite destination for international tourists.
Mr. Lee Kyung Taek, Deputy Representative of the Korea Tourism Organization in Vietnam, said, “Through tourism promotion activities and the opening of more flight routes, I believe Vietnam has a great opportunity to achieve its goals this year.”
With the promising signs at the beginning of the new year, the Vietnamese tourism industry is expected to have a strong breakthrough in 2024.
@Cafef