The international tourist arrivals to Ho Chi Minh City in the first 8 months have shown a significant increase, contributing to the country’s annual international visitor target.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism has indicated that despite receiving just over 350,000 international visitors in August due to the off-peak season for international tourism (peak season runs from late September to early October until the following April), the overall count for the city over the 8 months of the year has exceeded 2.71 million visitors.
Compared to the same period last year, this figure has surged by an impressive 92.3%, reaching 54.3% of the annual target.
Currently, the number of international visitors to Ho Chi Minh City makes up nearly 30% of the total international arrivals to Vietnam.
Specifically, data from the General Statistics Office has just been released, revealing that international arrivals to Vietnam over the 8 months reached 1.2 million visitors, marking a 17.2% increase compared to the previous month.
Over the cumulative 8-month period, the total international arrivals for the entire country reached over 7.8 million visitors, a staggering 5.4 times growth compared to the same period the previous year.
International guests visit the headquarters of the Council of People’s Committees – Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee
However, this number is only on par with 69.2% of the same period in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of the total international visitors to Vietnam in the 8-month period, nearly 6.9 million arrived by air, constituting 87.6% of the international arrivals, while the remaining visitors arrived by road and sea routes.
The optimistic influx of international visitors, combined with domestic tourists, has positively boosted the revenue of travel and tourism compared to the previous year. High travel demand during the peak season and proactive initiatives by localities have driven tourism growth.
The 8-month revenue of 2023 for certain localities, when compared to the same period the previous year, shows remarkable increases: Da Nang up by 97.5%, Khanh Hoa up by 93.4%, Ho Chi Minh City and Quang Ninh both up by 57.6%, Hai Phong up by 57%, and Hanoi up by 45.9%.
In the case of Ho Chi Minh City, the total tourism revenue for the first 8 months of 2023 is projected to reach 106,020 billion Vietnamese dong, a 42.3% increase from the same period the previous year. To stimulate further growth, the tourism sector across the country is preparing to welcome visitors during the 4-day holiday period from September 2nd, featuring diverse and lively activities nationwide.
Additionally, the tourism industry is gearing up for the peak season to cater to international visitors, particularly as Vietnam has officially introduced electronic visas for all markets and extended the maximum visa-free stay to 45 days for qualifying markets.
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