South Korea expects to welcome 420,000 Vietnamese tourists in 2023

DNHN - The number of Vietnamese tourists to South Korea has increased due to the cultural proximity between the two countries, the availability of numerous flights, and the short flight duration. In addition, the cost of travel to South Korea is affordable.

According to the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) in Vietnam, South Korea is expected to welcome up to 420,000 Vietnamese tourists in 2023, the highest number among Southeast Asian countries.

Specifically, from January to November this year, over 386,900 Vietnamese tourists visited South Korea, accounting for 74% of the number of visitors recorded in the same period in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, and 139.7% of the number of visitors during the same period last year.

Vietnamese tourists are ranked among the top MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and events) groups in South Korea in the Southeast Asian market, with over 38,400 tourists taking MICE trips to the "Land of the Morning Calm" in November.

"This is remarkable as it is the first time Vietnam has taken the number one spot as the largest source market in Southeast Asia," KTO noted.

Conversely, the number of South Korean tourists visiting Vietnam in the first 11 months of the year exceeded 3.2 million, making it the largest source market, followed by China with over 1.5 million visitors. Lee Jae Hoon, the head of KTO's representative office in Vietnam, stated that Vietnam will always be a leading market for South Korean tourism in Southeast Asia. "The friendship between the two countries is growing stronger, and we are developing together not only in tourism but also in culture, economy, and politics," said Mr Jae Hoon.

Ms Vu Thi Bich Hue, Head of Communications at Flamingo Redtours, which was awarded the "Impressive Partner 2023" award by KTO, said that the large number of Vietnamese tourists visiting South Korea is due to the cultural proximity between the two countries, the availability of numerous flights, and the relatively short flight duration of just over 5 hours. The cost of travel to South Korea is also affordable for most Vietnamese tourists. South Korean cuisine is popular among young Vietnamese people. Additionally, South Korea offers many beautiful landscapes for check-ins, such as the autumn foliage, snowy winters, various flower seasons, and the allure of the K-pop cultural wave.

In 2024, coinciding with the Visit Korea Year, the Korean Tourism Organisation plans to focus on promoting the "Top 100 Most Attractive Korean Tourist Destinations" and launch the "K-Tourism Roadshow" events to introduce the attractiveness of South Korea in major cities worldwide, including cities in Vietnam.

KTO is enhancing the competitiveness of South Korean tourism through activities such as developing products tailored to each region, collaborating with local airports, and discovering and promoting Korean tourism content. The tourism themes that KTO is currently focusing on promoting include Local tourism, Special Interest Tours (SIT) in Korea, and luxury tourism.

Notably, in January 2024, the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games will be held at various locations in Gangwon Province, with 15,000 participants expected to attend, demonstrating South Korea's capability to host large-scale international events.

Thu Ha