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Accordingly, tourists arriving by air reached 7.4 million people, accounting for 83.8% of the total international visitors to Vietnam and increasing by 51.6% compared to the same period in 2023. Next, tourists arriving by land reached nearly 1.3 million people, accounting for 14.3% of the total and increasing by 99% compared to the same period last year. Tourists arriving by sea only reached 164,900 people, accounting for 1.9% of the total and increasing by 199.5% compared to the same period last year.
In the first six months of 2024, Vietnam welcomed a total of over 8.83 million tourists. This figure represents a 58.4% increase compared to the same period last year and a 4.1% increase compared to the same period in 2019 – before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vietnam is blessed with majestic natural beauty that attracts many international tourists.
A highlight of the tourism industry in the first half of the year was the series of overseas tourism promotion and marketing activities implemented by the Vietnam National Tourism Administration and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Of particular note was the success of the series of programs promoting Vietnamese tourism in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and other countries.
In the domestic market, tourism activities are vibrant nationwide, with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launching the domestic tourism stimulus program "Vietnamese people travel in Vietnam - I love Vietnam". Responding to this program, localities and businesses have launched a series of attractive stimulus packages and organized diverse and unique events and festivals to attract tourists.
The domestic tourism stimulus program "Vietnamese people travel in Vietnam - I love Vietnam" is a successful program with a significant impact.
In the first six months of the year, South Korea was Vietnam's largest international tourist market with 2.28 million visitors. China ranked second with nearly 1.9 million visitors. The remaining markets in the top 10 included Taiwan (China), Japan, the United States, Australia, India, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand.
In 2023, South Korea was also Vietnam's largest international tourist market with 3.6 million visitors. Conversely, Vietnam was also South Korea's leading source market in Southeast Asia with approximately 420,000 visitors.
With 8.8 million international visitors in the first six months, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration believes that the tourism industry will soon achieve its target. Coupled with the impetus from a relaxed visa policy, it is expected that in the second half of 2024, the number of international visitors to Vietnam will continue to grow dramatically, fulfilling the previously set target of welcoming 17-18 million international visitors.
Thanks to current growth momentum and a more open visa policy, the number of international visitors is expected to increase significantly in the second half of 2024. Distant markets such as Europe, the US, and Australia will send a large number of tourists during the cold season, as they have long winter holidays and tend to travel to escape the cold. In the coming period, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration will continue to implement a series of programs to promote Vietnamese tourism in Russia, South Korea, and other countries.
