The number of Vietnamese tourists visiting Japan has reached unprecedented levels.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) in Vietnam, this is the highest monthly number of Vietnamese tourists Japan has ever received, surpassing the previous record of 55,295 visitors in April 2019.

Japan welcomed 1.47 million international visitors in February, a 56% recovery compared to the same period in 2019. The growth in these markets was largely driven by tourists from Southeast Asian countries.

The number of Vietnamese visitors to Japan from January to February 2023 far exceeded pre-COVID-19 levels, reaching 107,300, a 43.5% increase compared to the same period in 2019 – before the pandemic (74,752). This represents the largest growth among all source markets for visitors to Japan. Two other markets showing significant increases compared to 2019 were Indonesia (9%) and Singapore (4%).

According to a report by JNTO, the number of Vietnamese visitors to Japan is expected to continue increasing in the coming months. March and April are typically the months when Japan welcomes a large number of international visitors to see the cherry blossoms. April, the start of the new fiscal year, also sees a high number of international visitors to Japan for purposes such as studying abroad or participating in technical training programs.

Other factors believed to have contributed to this growth include a series of events and activities commemorating the "50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam" starting in January 2023; the "Promoting Japanese tourism in celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam" campaign with the "Nhi Thang Family" - the family of singer Dong Nhi and Ong Cao Thang - as campaign ambassadors. In addition, the early restoration of Japan-Vietnam flight routes and the design and increased sales of Japanese tourism products by travel companies also contributed to this growth.

JNTO Vietnam aims to restore the number of Vietnamese tourists visiting Japan in 2023 to pre-COVID-19 levels (495,051 Vietnamese visitors in 2019), contributing to promoting tourism exchange between the two countries.

Bi Le