Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest financial centre and most populous region, became the preferred destination for tourists from the Asia-Pacific region visiting the country in the primary quarter of this 12 months, in line with data from Dutch online travel agency Booking.com.
The next places within the beach resort rankings were taken by Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hanoi, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Vung Tau, Phu Quoc Island, Hoi An, Hue and Mui Ne, based on search data from January 1 to March 31. Demand and bookings for these destinations are expected to proceed to grow this summer.
Booking.com also notes that Vietnam is one of the vital popular destinations for travelers from Korea, Japan, and India. Vietnam ranks third on the list of hottest destinations for Koreans, fifth for Japanese, and tenth for Indians.
According to data released by the General Statistics Office, Vietnam managed to draw greater than 4.6 million foreign tourists in the primary three months of 2024. The figure represents a 72 percent increase in comparison with the identical period last 12 months and a 3.2 percent increase in comparison with the identical period in 2019, which was the golden age of Vietnamese tourism.
South Korea has been the most important market sending tourists to Vietnam previously three months, with greater than 1.2 million arrivals. This figure represents a 150% increase in comparison with the identical period in 2023 and a ten% increase in comparison with the identical period in 2019. Mainland China got here in second with almost 890,000 visits, a 6.4-fold increase in comparison with the identical period in 2023.
Apart from South Korea and mainland China, the highest five markets from which tourists head to Vietnam are Taiwan (China), the United States and Japan.
Experts say the country’s tourism sector is showing positive signs of recovery, helped by a more flexible and tourist-friendly visa policy, in addition to programmes promoting and stimulating lively tourism.
Currently, travelers from 25 countries don’t need visas to enter the country, while 13 countries have unilateral exemptions. Since August 2023, Vietnam has introduced electronic visas for all nationalities and prolonged the length of stay to 90 days (from 30 days) with unlimited entries. The policy also extends the temporary stay for visa-exempt nationals from 15 days to 45 days upon entry into Vietnam.
