International visitors to Vietnam in February 2024 up 64.1% year-on-year

DNHN - Vietnam’s unique cultural experiences and various types of tourism, including resorts, sports, nature and wildlife exploration, ecotourism, festivals and community-based tourism in all regions, have attracted visitors to Vietnam.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the number of international visitors to Vietnam in February 2024 reached 1,531,411, an increase of 1.3% compared to the previous month and a significant 64.1% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

Meanwhile, the number of domestic tourists is estimated at 14.0 million, of which approximately 4.9 million stayed overnight. Total revenue from tourism in the first two months of 2024 is estimated to have reached VND 136.1 trillion.

In terms of market distribution, South Korea remains the largest source market with 844,000 visitors (27.7%). China ranks second with 538,000 visitors, followed by Taiwan (198,000 visitors), and the United States (156,000 visitors).

Other major markets for Vietnamese tourism include Japan (107,000 visitors), Australia (97,000 visitors), Malaysia (92,000 visitors), India (79,000 visitors), Cambodia (79,000 visitors), and Thailand (76,000 visitors).

Regarding growth drivers, all regions recorded strong growth in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2023, particularly the recovery of the Asian market (+77.8%), Europe (+76%), and Australia (+36.5%), while the Americas also saw a slight increase (+8.4%).

It is worth noting that the Chinese market has recovered significantly, increasing by 7.5 times compared to the same period in 2023. At the same time, other major markets also recorded strong growth: South Korea (+50.7%), Japan (+52.3%), and Taiwan (China) (+120%).

According to VNAT, the vibrant tourism activities and positive results from welcoming international visitors in the first two months of 2024 are positive signs for the recovery of Vietnam’s tourism industry.

One notable point is the timely direction and guidance from the national tourism management agency to localities to prepare for activities to attract and welcome tourists during the Lunar New Year and the beginning of the Year of the Dragon.

In addition, the increased promotion and marketing of Vietnamese tourism to international friends, along with the proactive and creative efforts of localities and businesses in developing tourism products, have also contributed significantly to the development of the tourism industry.

Furthermore, services for tourists, especially Vietnam’s unique cultural experiences and the effective exploitation of resorts, sports, nature and wildlife exploration, ecotourism, festivals and community-based tourism in all regions have also made positive contributions to the development of the tourism industry.

In particular, the clear effectiveness of the visa policy applied from 15 August 2023, which extended the temporary stay period from 15 days to 45 days for countries granted unilateral visa exemption and implemented e-visa issuance for all countries with a temporary stay period of up to 90 days, has also played an important role in the recovery of Vietnam’s tourism industry since the beginning of 2024, creating a foundation for the industry to achieve the target of welcoming 18 million international visitors this year.

P.V