Vietnam attracts 15.4mn foreign tourists in January-September

September alone saw nearly 1.52 million arrivals, a 19.5-percent increase from the year earlier.

According to VNAT, China and South Korea remained the two largest source markets for international visitors, together accounting for nearly half of the total arrivals.

China topped the list with 3.9 million arrivals, or 25.2 percent of the total, followed by South Korea with 3.2 million, or 21 percent.

Other key markets included Taiwan with 926,000 travelers, the United States 623,000, and Japan 618,000.

Notably, India rose to sixth place among Vietnam’s top 10 source markets for international visitors.

Tourist arrivals from China surged nearly 44 percent, while India posted a growth rate of more than 42 percent, VNAT reported.

Overall, arrivals increased across all regions, including Europe (up 34.9 percent), Asia (up 20.9 percent), Oceania (up 13.7 percent), the Americas (up 8.5 percent), and Africa (up 4.7 percent).

VNAT has carried out a series of tourism promotion programs abroad this year, targeting markets such as Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and South Korea.

With relaxed visa regulations, the authority expects Vietnam’s inbound tourism to sustain strong growth for the rest of the year, aiming to reach around 25 million international visitors in 2025.