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| Foreign tourists visit Ho Chi Minh City's Central Post Office. (Photo: VNA) |
Favourable visa policies, stronger tourism promotion programmes, and winning several prestigious international tourism awards have all contributed to drawing more foreign visitors to the country.
In October 2024, international arrivals to Vietnam reached 1.42 million, a slight increase compared to the figure of 1.3 million in September and a 27.6% increase compared to the same period last year.
The numbers are expected to grow, with the peak season for international tourists, especially ones from European countries, usually lasting from October to March.
Of the total 14.1 million figure, nearly 12 million arrived by air, accounting for 84.8% of the total, marking a 36.9% increase year-on-year. Almost 2 million arrived in Vietnam by road, up 13.9% and a 65.7% increase, respectively.
Composition-wise, Asian markets contributed nearly 80% of the total arrivals. Four markets – the Republic of Korea, China, Taiwan (China) and Japan -accounted for nearly 60 %.
In the first 10 months of 2024, the RoK was Vietnam's largest source of tourists, with 3.7 million visitors (26.4%). China is in second place with 3.0 million visitors (21.3%). Following these are visitors from Taiwan (China), the US, Japan, Australia, India, Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand.
While most destinations recorded growth compared to 2023 - China (up 130.4%), the RoK (up 28.5%), Japan (up 24.8%), Taiwan (up 59.4%), India (up 29.1%), Australia (up 23.7%), while visitors from Thailand declined by 13.3 %.
European markets also saw positive growth, including key markets like the UK (up 20.4 %), France (up 30.5 %) and Germany (up 23.6 %). While Italy (up 54.5 %), Spain (up 23.3 %), Russia (up 81.5 %), Denmark (up 21.7 %), Norway (up 16.2 %), and Sweden (up 24.9 %).
These markets benefit from a unilateral visa exemption policy for stays of up to 45 days, implemented from August 15, 2023.
Overall, tourism revenues in the first ten months hit 690 trillion VND (27.18 billion USD).
Aero-K and Vantage Aviation launch new Hanoi-Seoul route
According to VOV, The Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Aero-K Airlines and Vantage Aviation Vietnam on November 6 announced a new air route connecting Hanoi and Seoul (HAN - ICN).
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| Florence Lam, director of Vantage Aviation Vietnam, addresses the event (Source: VOV) |
The emergence of the new route is expected to make airfares drop sharply, enhance trade exchanges, and boost tourism cooperation between Korean and Vietnamese firms.
The charter flights on the Hanoi-Seoul route will be launched on December 18 and will make use of narrow-body aircraft with round-trip airfare hovering at around VND4 million and VND5 million, 20% to 30% lower than the current average.
Florence Lam, director of Vantage Aviation Vietnam, emphasised that the new route between Hanoi and Seoul represents an important milestone in the partnership between the two airlines.
Both airlines are committed to providing Vietnamese passengers with both convenient and affordable flight experiences, while also creating the optimal conditions possible for them to further explore the beautiful culture and nature of the RoK, she added.
Furthermore, charter flights are anticipated to help enhance the overall competitiveness of the Vietnamese tourism industry, with more flexible product packages on offer for tourists, she noted.
Meanwhile, Lee Song Han, a representative of Aero-K Airlines, revealed that the carrier has operated three air routes between Vietnam and the RoK over one year, proving that Vietnam is a strategic market for the airline.
The new route will create further opportunities to promote tourism and economic cooperation that exists between the two countries, he said, noting that the carrier will act as a bridge to help Vietnamese tourists to fully experience Korean culture.
The Vietnamese tourism industry has recorded a strong recovery in international markets, especially the RoK.
During the 10-month period, about 3.7 million Korean tourists came to the country, up 28% against the same period last year.
Vietnam Airlines promotes the country’s image in China
Vietnamese Airlines and Chinese travel company GuangZhou Yuanzhilv Technology will team up to bring approximately 300,000 Chinese tourists to Vietnam from 2024 to 2030 and to popularize Vietnam among Chinese people, reported VOV.
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| The ceremony is witnessed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: nhandan.vn) |
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed and exchanged by both sides at a ceremony held in Chongqing, China, on November 8.
The event took place within the framework of the Vietnam Culture and Tourism Promotion Programme in China, and as witnessed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh who was in Chongqing for a working trip.
Under the MoU, the two sides will closely cooperate in various fields, such as aviation services, marketing, exchanges of experiences regarding tourism development, and new tourist destination trends.
They will also organise a number of events in Chongqing to promote Vietnam as an attractive tourist destination in the region.
Over the years, China has been one of the leadingVietnamese tourist markets. According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), the first nine months of this year saw 2.7 million Chinese visitors arrive in Vietnam, a surge of about 141.4% year onyear.
Approximately 483,000 passengers chose Vietnam Airlines to fly to China during the period, a rise of 2.4 times compared the figure recorded in 2023.
Currently, the national flag carrier is operating five routes between both sides, including routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to major Chinese cities such as Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai.
Vietnam Airlines plans to continue to increase the frequency of regular flights and make use of wide-body aircraft, as well as opening new routes amid a rise in market demand.
It will coordinate with agencies and partners of the two countries to hold programmes specifically aimed atintroducing new Vietnamese destinations to Chinese tourists, as well as potential destinations in China to Vietnamese people.
Festival introduces brocade products of ethnic groups in Lao Cai
According to NDO, a Brocade Festival themed ‘Sapa – Brocade in the Land of Mist and Clouds’ is taking place in Sapa Town, Lao Cai Province from November 8 to 10.
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| Xa Pho ethnic women in Lao Cai Province practising brocade weaving (Photo: VNA) |
The event features a cultural space introducing the craft of brocade weaving and traditional brocade products of ethnic groups in Lao Cai Province, such as Mong, Dao, Tay, Giay and Xa Pho.
Art programmes, exhibitions, and fairs on Lao Cai’s tourism promotion are also held within the festival's framework.
The festival is among Lao Cai Province’s efforts to realise the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s project on preserving and promoting traditional costumes of Vietnamese ethnic minorities and the province’s programme on safeguarding and upholding traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities by 2024.
It aims to provide an opportunity for brocade artisans, cooperatives, and businesses to share experiences in preserving and advertising traditional brocade products while contributing to boosting local tourism development.
Brunei, Vietnam to boost tourism ties
The Vietnamese Embassy in Brunei on November 6 organised a workshop to boost tourism cooperation between Vietnam, Brunei and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), reported VNA.
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| Participants at the workshop pose for group photo (Photo: VNA) |
Addressing the event, Ambassador Tran Anh Vu presented post-COVID-19 tourism trends, emphasing an increased demand for sustainable, eco-tourism and Halal tourism. He highlighted these areas as an opportunity for Vietnam and Brunei to strengthen regional tourism, catering to the nearly 400 million people in the BIMP-EAGA member countries.
The Ambassador expressed his hope for further growth in 2025, a year of significant cultural events in Vietnam, positioning the country as an attractive destination for Muslim tourists within the BIMP-EAGA.
Vu underlined that Brunei, Borneo Island, and BIMP-EAGA countries have the potential to become enchanting destinations for Vietnamese tourists due to their natural landscapes, eco-tourism sites, inter-regional travel and tourism projects, and Indonesia’s relocation of its capital to Nusantara on Borneo Island.
With advantageous geographic proximity and direct flights connecting Brunei and Vietnam, both countries are well-placed to serve as gateways between the Mekong and BIMP-EAGA regions, Vu noted.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Brunei will continue to work with partners to promote tourism in Vietnam, Brunei, the Mekong region, and BIMP-EAGA, while encouraging tourism companies to explore new routes connecting the countries and Mekong subregion in the future, he continued.
During the seminar, Bruneian and Malaysian partners and businesses expressed strong interest in tourism cooperation and connectivity with Vietnam, appreciating recent policies implemented by the Vietnamese Government, such as issuing e-visas for citizens of all countries, enhancing air connectivity, and promoting Halal tourism by expanding Halal services such as restaurants, hotels, and prayer spaces.
Brunei’s Tourism Development Department Acting Director Salinah binti Haji Mohd Salleh said that Vietnam is a priority market for Brunei, which saw around 4,000 Vietnamese visitors in the first nine months of 2024. She went on to say that the ministry plans to enhance promotional efforts in Vietnam, including partnerships with social media influencers to highlight Brunei’s cultural and Islamic tourism.
Tourism holds significant potential for cooperation between Vietnam and countries in the BIMP-EAGA. In the first nine months of 2024, Asian tourist arrivals to Vietnam showed positive growth, including more than 300,000 from Malaysia and over 130,000 from Indonesia.
Currently, Brunei’s national airline operates six direct flights per week between Brunei and Ho Chi Minh City, with over 12,000 passengers recorded in 2023./.