International tourists in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA)
According to a report released on May 6 by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, China remained the leading source of visitors, with 1.95 million arrivals, accounting for 25.4% of the total. The Republic of Korea followed closely with 1.58 million (20.6%), while other key markets included Taiwan (China) with 440,000, and the US with 323,000. Japan, Cambodia, Australia, India, Malaysia, and Thailand were also among the top ten source markets.
Arrivals from China surged by 56.7% year-on-year, while Japan saw an 18.9% rise. Slight increases were also observed from Taiwan (China) at 5.2%, and the US at 7.2%. In this regard, several Southeast Asian neighbours showed notable growth. The Philippines soared by 98.3%, Cambodia by 79.6%, and Laos by 44.7%. Singapore, however, posted a slight decline of 0.9%.
European markets continued to show steady growth, particularly those benefitting from Vietnam’s unilateral visa exemption policy. The UK saw a 20.7% increase in the number of visitors, followed by France (24.7%), Germany (18.8%), Italy (32.6%), Spain (12.9%), Denmark (12.7%), Sweden (16.3%), and Norway (11.5%). Russia recorded a striking 110.9% rise, making it the largest European source market, with over 166,000 arrivals during the four-month period.
Notably, three countries granted short-term visa exemptions from March 1 to December 31 under Vietnam’s tourism stimulus programme this year also saw growing visitor numbers, with Poland up by 48.8%, Switzerland by 16.6%, and the Czech Republic by 1.5%.
The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism plans to carry out seven major international promotional campaigns in 2025, aiming to attract between 22 and 23 million international arrivals this year.
