Vietnam remains RoK tourists’ favorite foreign destination

Data showe that in the first 10 months of 2024, more than 14.1 million international tourists came to Vietnam, an increase of 41.3 percent year on year. In October 2024 alone, international arrivals to Vietnam reached 1.42 million.

Korean tourists in Da Nang City – Illustrative image

In terms of market size, Asia contributes nearly 80 percent of the arrivals. Four markets—the RoK, China, Taiwan (China) and Japan—accounted for nearly 60 percent. In the first ten months of 2024, the RoK was Vietnam’s largest source of tourists, with 3.7 million visitors (26.4 percent). China is in the second place with 3.0 million visitors (21.3 percent). Following these are visitors from Taiwan (China), the United States, Japan, Australia, India, Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand.

In terms of growth drivers, VNAT said large markets in the Northeast Asia region are the main driving force for the growth in international arrivals. China (up 130.4 percent), the RoK (up 28.5 percent), Japan (up 24.8 percent), Chinese Taipei (up 59.4 percent), India (up 29.1 percent),

According to the travel trend analysis for the third quarter of 2024 announced by Kyowon Tour Travel Easy Group, Vietnam ranked first among the favorite foreign tourist destinations of Koreans, surpassing Japan. The travel company said that due to the impact of high inflation, more Koreans have chosen short-distance foreign destinations during the holiday season or for early vacation to avoid the peak season to reduce the burden of cost.

Pham Hai Quynh - Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute - assessed that Korean tourists tend to grow steadily due to geographical and cultural proximity. Direct flights and diverse tour packages in addition to many similarities of the two countries in culture, cuisine, and lifestyle, have helped drawn more Korean visitors to Vietnam.

“With the development of Vietnam’s resort tourism industry, many Koreans have chosen Vietnam for their vacations, especially in coastal cities, such as Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc. They tend to spend a lot on shopping, food products and services and cultural experiences,” Quynh said.

According to a report in late September by the digital payment company Visa, Vietnam ranked second in the Asia-Pacific after only Japan among destinations where RoK tourists spent the most in the first half of this year. Their spending on accommodation increased by 60 percent year-on-year and accounted for 21 percent of their total spending in Vietnam.

“This highlights Vietnam’s appeal for luxury travel among Koreans,” the report said. Spending on necessities also accounted for 21 percent, with food and drink making up 17 percent.

The number of Korean tourists using electronic payments increased to 33 percent from 15 percent last year.

It is forecast that in 2024, RoK is still the biggest tourist source of Vietnam. However, tourism experts believe that attractive tourism products alone are not enough to encourage repeat visits from Korean tourists. The industry needs to strategically invest in product operations to create consistency and synergy, leveraging destination appeal.

Regarding this issue, Pham Hai Quynh said that other countries in the region are also making efforts to attract tourists, so Vietnam needs to continue to improve services and tourism experiences to maintain its attractiveness. In particular, the current trend of sustainable tourism and local experiences also needs to be promoted to meet the increasingly diverse needs of Korean tourists. “The lead of Korean tourist arrivals to Vietnam in 2024 is a positive signal, but effective strategies are needed for further development. For example, organizing promotional programs, festivals and cultural events may create favorable conditions to attract more Korean tourists to Vietnam in the coming time,” said Pham Hai Quynh.