South Korea beats China to regain crown as Vietnam's largest source of tourists

By Hoang Phong March 10, 2025 | 12:34 am PT

South Korean tourists pose for photos at Da Nang International Airport. Photo by VnExpress/ Nguyen Dong

South Korea has regained its position as Vietnam's largest source of visitors in February with 468,000 arrivals, after losing the title to China in January.

Mainland China ranked second with 380,745 arrivals, followed by Taiwan, the U.S., and Japan, according to the General Statistics Office.

Tourism experts attribute the drop in the number of Chinese tourists in February partly to the fact that the spring travel season for Chinese travelers ended in February, with many returning to work.

A large number of Chinese made outbound trips in January as the month coincided with the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The U.K. emerged as a bright spot in February, appearing for the first time in the list of the top 10 largest markets sending visitors to Vietnam since the Covid pandemic.

South Korea and the U.K. were among 12 countries for which Vietnam has decided to waive visas until 2028.

Vietnam welcomed 1.89 million foreign arrivals in February, marking a 23% increase year-on-year.

The surge in foreign tourists to Vietnam was driven by favorable visa policies, tourism promotion programs, and prestigious international tourism awards, according to industry insiders.