According to the latest statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Vietnam welcomed 1.55 million international visitors in April 2024, marking a 58.2% increase compared to the same period last year. In the first four months of 2024, the total number of international arrivals reached 6.2 million, a surge of 68.3% year-on-year.
Vietnam’s domestic tourism is currently in peak season, but international arrivals remain robust, with over 1.5 million visitors in the month. Notably, the total number of international visitors in the first four months of this year is 3.9% higher than pre-pandemic levels, demonstrating the strong recovery and growth of Vietnam’s tourism industry.
In terms of market size, South Korea continues to be the largest source of visitors to Vietnam, with 1.6 million arrivals (25.8%). China ranks second with 1.25 million arrivals (20%), followed by Taiwan (China) in third place (418,000 arrivals), the United States in fourth place (301,000 arrivals), and Japan in fifth place (235,000 arrivals).
The top 10 markets for Vietnamese tourism also include Malaysia (181,000 arrivals), Australia (180,000 arrivals), Thailand (163,000 arrivals), India (158,000 arrivals), and Cambodia (155,000 arrivals).
Regarding growth drivers, Asia leads the way with a 77.2% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Major markets in Northeast Asia are the main contributors: China (+394.9%), South Korea (+49.6%), Japan (+47.2%), and Taiwan (China) (+116.3%).
Chart 1. International arrivals by month, 2023-2024 (thousand)
Source: Compiled from data of the General Statistics Office
In addition, Southeast Asian markets have also shown strong growth, such as Indonesia (+140.1%), the Philippines (+51.8%), Malaysia (+21.4%), Cambodia (+14.9%), and Singapore (+10.0%). Only Thailand has seen a decline of 18.0%. India continues to impress with a growth of 41.1%, while Australia has increased by 37.8%.
European markets continue to show robust growth (+63.8%) thanks to the effectiveness of the visa waiver policy implemented since August 15, 2023. Most markets are performing well, including key markets such as the UK (+35.2%), France (+41.7%), and Germany (+36.9%). Italy (+77.4%), Spain (+48.5%), Russia (+74.0%), Sweden (+37.9%), Switzerland (+31.8%), Denmark (+40.3%), Belgium (+36.6%), and Norway (+39.8%) have also seen strong growth.
