Vietnam has welcomed over 7.8 million international visitors in the first 8 months, approaching the target of 8 million visitors set for the entire year.
According to data from the General Statistics Office, international arrivals to Vietnam reached 1.2 million in August 2023, a 17.2% increase compared to the previous month, and 2.5 times higher than the same period last year.
Cumulatively for the first 8 months of this year, international visitors to the country have totaled over 7.8 million, a 5.4-fold increase compared to the same period last year, but still only 69.2% compared to the same period in 2019 – a year unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among these, South Korea continues to lead as the top source market for visitors to Vietnam in August, with nearly 386,000 arrivals, bringing the total from the “land of kimchi” to 2.27 million since the beginning of the year.
Vietnam achieved 97.5% of the plan to welcome international visitors in 2023.
This is also the only market with a total number of visitors to Vietnam reaching the million mark; all other markets recorded under 1 million visitors.
Notably, Chinese tourists are still experiencing strong growth. In August, Vietnam welcomed over 212,000 Chinese visitors, a 15% increase compared to July. The total number of Chinese visitors to Vietnam for the first 8 months reached nearly 950,000.
Following that are markets like Taiwan (China), Japan, the United States, Cambodia, Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, and more.
In the capital city, Hanoi, the Department of Tourism estimates that in August, there were 382,900 international arrivals out of a total of 2.18 million visitors, marking a 21.5% increase compared to the same period in 2022, and an 8.7% increase compared to July. For the first 8 months of 2023, Hanoi welcomed 2.79 million international visitors, a 4.6-fold increase compared to the same period in 2022.
Therefore, compared to the annual target of 8 million international visitors, Vietnam has achieved 97.5% of the year’s plan.
Especially noteworthy is Vietnam’s change in visa policy starting from August 15, moving towards granting electronic visas to citizens of all countries and extending the maximum stay period to 90 days. The extension of temporary residence for citizens of 13 visa-exempt countries to 45 days creates ample room for growth as Vietnam enters the peak season of international tourism at the end of the year.
@Vietnamnet