Vietnam aims to welcome 22-23 million international visitors in 2025

With a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam aims to receive 22-23 million international visitors in 2025

The tourism industry has recovered positively this year after the pandemic and has been praised by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh as a bright spot in the country’s socio-economic landscape.

The past 11 months saw Vietnam attract nearly 16 million foreign arrivals, representing an increase of 41% year on year, and experts believed that the tourism industry would meet the revised set target of receiving 17-18 million arrivals this year.

Visitors from Asia accounted for nearly 80% of the total international arrivals to Vietnam, with over 12.6 million. The largest international tourist markets included the Republic of Korea, China, Taiwan (China), Japan, the United States, India, Malaysia, Cambodia, Australia, and Thailand.

Notably, the Republic of Korea was the largest source market, with 4.13 million visitors, an increase of 128.3% compared to the same period last year. It was followed by China, with 3.3 million visitors, a 222% increase.

In the European market, the United Kingdom is the largest source of visitors, with over 279,000 visits, followed by France, Germany, and Russia.

To meet the target set for 2025, the tourism industry will focus resources on potential and high-quality markets such as China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, North America, India, and the Middle East, said Ha Van Sieu, deputy director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

The industry will select international markets based on criteria such as visa-free entry markets, markets with convenient flight connections, and markets with high potential, growth capacity, and quality, added the official.

International tourists are eager to experience farming activities at Tra Que Vegetable Village in Hoi An City, an immersive and unique way to explore the region's rich agricultural heritage

According to the plan for 2025, Vietnam’s tourism industry will organize programs to promote tourism and connect businesses in Chinese-speaking markets, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore), Europe (Western Europe, Eastern-Central Europe, Northern Europe), Australia, North America, India, and the Middle East.

Notably, in 2025 there will be a Vietnam Cultural Tourism Week in Europe. in addition, the Vietnam Pavilion at EXPO 2025 Osaka in Japan’s Kansai from April to October 2025 will be an important occasion to promote Vietnamese culture and tourism.

Next year, the Vietnamese tourism industry plans to participate in several of the world’s leading travel fairs, including: ITB Berlin, IMEX Frankfurt (Germany), WTM London (UK), FITUR (Spain), IFTM Top Resa (France), MITT (Russia), MATKA (Finland), ITB China (China), TITF (Taiwan, China), SITF (Republic of Korea), Tourism EXPO Japan (Japan), TRAVEX, ITB Singapore, AIME (Australia), IMEX America/Seatrade Cruise Global Miami (USA), SATTE/OTM (India), and the Arabian Travel Market (Dubai).

According to Nguyen Trung Khanh, director general of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, promotion is always a key focus of the industry, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires increased market reconnection, new product development, and attracting returning tourists. Market research and statistics are given priority, with the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism publishing a market analysis newsletter every month on the same day the General Statistics Office releases international visitor statistics.

In the future, tourism promotion will both select source markets suitable for different domestic destinations and develop domestic products that meet the needs of international tourists, thus creating supply to stimulate demand, he said./.