January sets record with nearly 2.5mn foreign visitors to Vietnam

According to the National Statistics Office, international arrivals rose more than 21 percent from the previous month, reaching almost 2.5 million visitors during the first month of the year.

The agency said this was the highest monthly figure since Vietnam began recording international arrivals on a monthly basis in 2009.

South Korea overtook China to become Vietnam's largest source market in January, sending nearly 490,000 visitors. 

Popular destinations for South Korean tourists included beach and island resorts such as Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, and Da Nang.

China ranked second with close to 460,000 arrivals. 

Cambodia placed third among Vietnam's top source markets, a notable rise from its previous position outside the top five.

Other major source markets included Taiwan, Japan, the United States, Australia, Russia, India, and Malaysia.

The National Statistics Office attributed the record inflow to changes in visa policies, expanded tourism promotion, diversified tourism products, and improvements in service quality.

Nguyen Tien Dat, vice-chairman of the Hanoi Tourism Association, said the figures reflected a strong recovery in inbound tourism and pointed to continued growth ahead.

He said international visitors were choosing a wider range of destinations across Vietnam, adding that Phu Quoc was experiencing high occupancy rates, particularly in the high-end resort segment.

The January record supports Vietnam's target of welcoming 25 million international visitors in 2026, the statistics office said.

The country welcomed over 21 million international arrivals last year.