Foreign tourist numbers reach nearly half of full-year target

By Hoang Phong    April 30, 2023 | 08:24 pm PT
Foreign tourist numbers reach nearly half of full-year target
Tourists visit Saigon’s War Remnants Museum in HCMC's District 3, April 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran
Vietnam received over 3.6 million foreign visitors in January-April, equivalent to 62% of pre-pandemic numbers and nearly half of this year's eight-million target.

At 1.07 million, South Koreans made up the largest numbers followed by American (263,000) and Thai (199,000) visitors, according to the General Statistics Office.

In April alone international arrivals topped 984,000, a 9.9% increase from the previous month.

They included 111,000 Chinese, who were allowed to visit Vietnam only from mid-March after the country lifted a long international travel ban in February.

The number of Chinese tourists increased 62% from March, which was the biggest rise among foreign tourists, although it was just more than a fifth of the same period in 2019.

The government has submitted proposals to the National Assembly to increase the visa period for foreigners from the current 30 days to three months and triple the duration of visa-free stays to 45 days for visitors from certain countries.

Lawmakers will discuss them next week.

The number of foreign tourists coming to Vietnam remains far behind its Southeast Asian neighbors.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand said at least eight million foreigners visited in the first four months.

 
 
go to top