Vietnam welcomes 19.5mn int’l visitors in Jan-Oct as European arrivals surge 51%

Asia remained Vietnam's largest tourist source market, accounting for nearly 75 percent of total international arrivals, or some 14.6 million visitors, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

Europe contributed 16.5 percent, equivalent to 3.22 million visitors, while the Americas made up more than one million arrivals.

Australia and Africa sent 602,000 and 59,000 visitors, respectively, to Vietnam during the 10-month period.

Europe recorded the highest growth rate among all regions, at more than 51 percent, followed by Africa with an increase of over 30 percent and Australia with 21.5 percent growth.

The significant rise in European arrivals was largely attributed to the onset of the peak travel season, when milder weather makes Vietnam an attractive destination for European holidaymakers.

International visitor growth during the 10-month period was driven by contributions from both major source markets and markets experiencing particularly strong growth, according to the authority.

Among Vietnam's top 10 source markets, China retained its leading position with nearly 4.4 million visitors, followed by South Korea with 3.4 million.

Russia climbed to third place with 1.25 million arrivals, while Taiwan ranked fourth with 1.07 million.

The remaining markets in the top 10 were the United States, Cambodia, Japan, India, the Philippines and Australia.

Several other factors have also supported the country's tourism growth, including a stable environment and strong security, and the expansion of direct flight connections between Vietnam and major international tourism hubs.

Also, more favorable visa policies have made the destination increasingly accessible to foreign travellers.

Besides, Vietnam's diverse tourism products and enduring natural attractions played a key role in sustaining double-digit growth in international arrivals during the period.

With the 19.5 million international arrivals, Vietnam's tourism industry achieved some 78 percent of its full-year target of 25 million international visitors.

For the rest of the year, the authority plans to continue organizing tourism promotion and marketing campaigns in key source markets, including China, South Korea, India and Russia.