Vietnam 2nd most popular tourist destination for South Koreans

Some 2.56 million South Koreans flew to Vietnam in January-September this year, up 389% from the same period last year when Covid still inhibited travel, according to statistics from that country’s immigration agency.

Around 4.8 million South Koreans visited Japan during the period.

Thailand was third with 1.08 million, followed by the Philippines and the U.S.

The list was compiled based on flight date.

Several South Korean airlines recently increased direct services to Vietnamese tourist hubs.

Its largest low-cost airline Jeju Air will launch a new direct service from Incheon to the Central Highlands resort city of Da Lat on December 20 and a daily Seoul-Phu Quoc service this month.

Korean Air and Jin Air are also set to fly on the latter route from late November.

Eastar Jet Airlines last month restarted its direct service between Incheon and Cam Ranh, the popular resort town near Nha Trang, after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Since Vietnam reopened its borders to foreign tourists in March last year, South Korea has become its nation’s largest source of tourists.

In the first nine months this year it received over 2.5 million South Koreans.