International visitors to Vietnam hit record high

In the first three months of the year, Vietnam welcomed more than 6 million international visitors, reaching an all-time high on a quarterly basis.

According to data released by the General Statistics Office on the morning of April 6, international arrivals to Vietnam in March reached more than 2.05 million; an increase of nearly 29% over the same period in 2024. In the first quarter, Vietnam welcomed more than 6 million visitors, an increase of nearly 30% over the same period last year and the highest number of arrivals in a quarter ever.

The number of Vietnamese people leaving the country reached 2.7 million; 2.2 times higher than the same period last year.

International visitors in Hoi An in March. Photo: Dac Thanh

The number of visitors arriving by air still accounts for the highest proportion, with more than 5.2 million arrivals in three months, followed by visitors arriving by road with nearly 700,000 arrivals. The remaining number is visitors arriving by water, more than 133,000 arrivals.

In the first three months of the year, China was the largest market sending visitors to Vietnam with nearly 1.6 million arrivals. South Korea ranked second with nearly 1.3 million arrivals, followed by "familiar" markets such as Taiwan, Japan, Cambodia, India, the US, and Australia.

Russian, Cambodian, Philippine and Chinese visitors were considered the growth drivers of the first quarter with the highest increases, at 210%, 205%, 195% and 178% respectively.

In the service sector, high consumer demand during the Lunar New Year and the number of international visitors to Vietnam contributed to high growth in the trade and service sector, according to the General Statistics Office.

According to some tourism experts and travel agency CEOs, the number of inbound visitors to Vietnam this year is increasing dramatically, with the number of arrivals exceeding that of 2019 - the peak year of Vietnamese tourism. With this growth rate, the goal of welcoming 22-23 million international visitors by 2025 can be achieved.

The record number of visitors in the first quarter of the year is said to be the result of promotional campaigns by ministries and agencies, visa relaxation policies for potential markets, and Vietnam being a cheap destination in the context of the global economic recession and people tightening their spending on tourism.

Phuong Anh

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/khach-quoc-te-den-viet-nam-cao-ky-luc-post285526.html