According to data released by the National Statistics Officeon March 6, the number of international arrivals rose 18.1 per cent compared with the same period last year, indicating that Vietnam remains an increasingly attractive destination for global travelers
In February alone, Vietnam welcomed more than 2.2 million international visitors. Although the figure was down 9.2 per cent month on month due to seasonal factors and the Lunar New Year holiday period, it still represented a strong year-on-year increase of 17.7 per cent.
Air travel continued to dominate as the main gateway for international tourists. During the January-February period, more than 3.8 million visitors arrived by air, accounting for 81.8 per cent of the total and increasing 12.8 per cent from a year earlier. Land border arrivals recorded the fastest growth, reaching about 741,200 visitors and rising 58.6 per cent year onyear, while sea arrivals totaled around 109,500 visitors, up 10.2 per cent.
The growth in visitor numbers also supported tourism-related revenue. Travel service revenue in the first two months was estimated at approximately VND 15 trillion, up 12.2 per cent compared with the same period last year. The increase was driven by both rising international arrivals and strong domestic tourism demand.
Tourism activity expanded across several major destinations. Tourism revenue increased significantly in provinces and cities including Ca Mau, Quang Ninh, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, reflecting the broad recovery of the industry nationwide.
Industry observers attribute the continued growth in international arrivals to more favourable visa policies, stronger tourism promotion efforts and improvements in tourism products and service quality. These measures have helped Vietnam strengthen its position as a competitive destination in the regional tourism market.
In terms of source markets, the Republic of Korea was the largest provider of visitors to Vietnam, followed by China. Several other markets including Russia, Taiwan (China), the United States, India, Japan and Malaysia maintained stable visitor flows. The Philippines newly entered the top ten inbound markets, replacing Australia, while Cambodia dropped from third place in January to ninth place in February.