Vietnam’s tourism industry has shown a remarkable recovery, with Asian tourists leading the resurgence.
TAIPEI, TAIWAN (Business Northeast) – In the first seven months of 2024, nearly 10 million international tourists visited Vietnam, marking a 51% increase compared to the same period last year and a 1.9% rise from 2019, indicating a return to pre-pandemic levels. In July 2024 alone, 1.15 million international tourists arrived in Vietnam, representing a 10.9% increase from July 2023. This significant growth is largely due to Vietnam’s resurgence as a preferred destination, especially for island vacations.
Asian tourists have played a key role in this recovery, with visitors from South Korea and China making up nearly half of the total. This influx has led to enhanced language support in popular tourist areas, with services in Korean and Chinese now widely available.
According to the “Tourism Information for July 2024” report recently released by the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, international tourist arrivals have increased across most markets, particularly in Asia, where the growth rate reached 57% due to proximity. Northeast Asian tourists contributed the most, with South Korea leading the way with 2.6 million visitors (26% of the total), followed by China with 2.1 million visitors (21.4%). Together, these two markets account for nearly half of Vietnam’s total international tourists. Taiwan ranked third with 732,000 visitors, while the United States and Japan ranked fourth and fifth, with 478,000 and 380,000 tourists, respectively.
Among them, the growth of the Taiwan market is particularly significant, with an increase of 76% compared with the same period last year, becoming the country with the fastest-growing number of tourists in Vietnam. Vietnamese restaurants and hair salons can be found everywhere on the streets of Taiwan, showing the local people’s love for Vietnamese culture. Due to its magnificent natural landscape, short flight time, similar culture and food habits, and relatively affordable travel costs, Vietnam has become the preferred island vacation destination for many Taiwanese people.
In addition to the Asian market, the European market also showed significant growth, with an increase of 47% compared to last year. This is due to the open visa and immigration policy implemented in August 2023 and a series of promotional activities recently launched by the Vietnam National Tourism Administration in significant markets such as France, Germany, Italy, and Russia.
The long and narrow terrain in the north and south of Vietnam gives the north, central, and south unique scenery and cultural charm, attracting many tourists to visit again and again. In addition to privately launching diversified tourism products and services, Vietnamese officials are also actively promoting the improvement of the international tourism image and brand, promoting the digital transformation of the tourism industry, and strengthening environmental protection activities. These measures will further promote the recovery of Vietnam’s tourism market.
