Foreign tourists take a cyclo-tour around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. (Photo: Thanh Tung/VNA)

The General Statistics Office said Vietnam received 1.7 million international visitors in November, 39% higher last November, and more than 15.8 million foreign tourists in 11 months of 2024, including 13.4 million air passengers and 2.2 million road travelers. The surge is attributable to favorable visa policies, tourism promotion programs, and prestigious awards from international tourism organizations. Vietnam only needs about 2.2 million more visitors to achieve its target of 18 million international arrivals for the year.

Dinh Thi Thuy Phuong, Director of the Trade and Service Statistics Department, said, “In 11 months, Vietnam welcomed 15.8 million international visitors, and domestic tourists also increased. It’s a favorable situation because tourism has a spillover effect on other sectors like accommodations, food, transportation, and retail services.”

Foreign tourists watch a photo exhibition at the Hue Imperial Citadel. (Photo: Do Truong/ VNA)

About 12.6 million tourists – nearly 80% of the international arrivals – came from Asia. South Korea has been Vietnam’s largest tourist market, with more than 4.1 million arrivals, followed by China, with 3.3 million arrivals. Other major markets are Japan, the US, India, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand.

There were about 4.5 million domestic tourists in November, and about 105 million in 11 months, generating over 30 billion USD in revenue, said the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.