Visitors to Vietnam in first quarter exceeded pre-COVID numbers

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), the number of international arrivals to Vietnam in March was nearly 1.6 million, an increase of 4.4 per cent compared to the previous month and a significant 78 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Over 83 per cent of the 4.6 million tourists arrived by air, approximately 13.5 per cent came by land, and 3 per cent arrived by sea.

March also witnessed significant growth in many international markets compared to the previous month, including a 53 per cent increase from Japan, a 41 per cent increase from Belgium, a 29 per cent increase from France, a 27 per cent increase from Italy, a 24 per cent increase from Indonesia, a 23 per cent increase from both Singapore and Thailand, a 21 per cent increase from Malaysia, and a 12 per cent increase from India.

The Chinese tourist market continues to show positive signs of recovery, reaching 352,000 arrivals, a 19 per cent increase compared to the previous month.

South Korea topped the list of foreign visitors to Vietnam in the first quarter, with 1.2 million arrivals, accounting for 26.6 per cent of the total, followed by South Korea, China, Taiwan, and the United States.

According to the VNAT, the number of domestic tourists in March is estimated to reach 8.5 million, with approximately 3 million of them staying overnight.

The total number of domestic tourists in the first quarter reached 30 million, generating a total revenue of VND 195 trillion ($8.1 billion).

Top 10 largest international visitor markets for Vietnam in the first quarter of 2024

Country

Number of visitors

South Korea

1,232,877

China

889,834

Taiwan

299,830

Japan

179,035

Malaysia

143,713

Thailand

118,542

India

116,273

Cambodia

113,746

Singapore

83,085

Philippines

49,348