As tourism recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, industry experts say that Vietnam is becoming a favorite destination for international travelers. Vietnam is quickly becoming one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia, where visitors can enjoy diverse natural landscapes, clear blue beaches, vast terraced fields and bustling cities.
According to data from the Google Destination Insights travel trend tracking tool, in recent months, the number of searches for Vietnam tourism has continuously increased in the top, ranking 7th in the world and being the only country in Southeast Asia in the top 20.
Vietnam tourism will continue to grow rapidly.
In the first 6 months of 2023, the number of international tourists to Vietnam reached 5.6 million, far exceeding the number in 2022 and reaching 69% of the plan for 2023. The German media agency said that the Vietnamese tourism industry has set a target of welcoming 8 million international tourists in 2023, however, this number may exceed expectations and increase to 10 million.
According to Bobby Nguyen, Chairman of Rustic Hospitality Group, the growth in the number of visitors will continue to come from the markets of Korea, China, and India. In March 2023, China allowed group tourists to Vietnam, while the Indian market has increased since 2022. In addition, he also appreciated the Vietnamese tourism industry for increasing the use of social networks to promote Vietnam's image in the international arena. "Having many online media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, advertising on Google or other social media channels are the fastest ways to spread Vietnam's image to the world," said Mr. Bobby Nguyen.
Vietnam's new visa policy will boost tourism
Recently, the Vietnamese National Assembly approved a policy to increase the duration of electronic visas from 30 days to 90 days, valid for multiple entries; and to increase the temporary residence period at the border gate for people entering under unilateral visa exemption from 15 days to 45 days. This policy will take effect from August 15, 2023.
Gary Bowerman, a tourism analyst in Kuala Lumpur, said that Vietnam's visa changes will give a big boost to the tourism industry. Vietnam's tourism is growing rapidly and the number of tourists coming here will continue to increase in the next 6 months, especially when the Chinese market has returned. He assessed that Vietnam has a special advantage as it is both an attractive destination for tourists and offers attractive business opportunities for investors.
For travel companies, the new visa policy will bring the prospect of attracting more international visitors. Max Lambert, owner of the Fuse Hostels & Travel chain, has seen a significant increase in international guests staying at his properties over the past three months, with bookings returning to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Before the pandemic, Vietnam was considered an attractive destination in Southeast Asia and will continue to maintain this appeal.
