Vietnam has set a target of welcoming five million foreign visitors this year.

However, the figure still nosedived 87.3% compared to the pre-pandemic period in 2019, the General Statistics Office (GSO) said on Monday.

Asian visitors made up the majority with nearly a million arrivals, accounting for 69% of the total in the eight months. Notably, the number of Korean visitors surged 17-fold year on year to make this Northeast Asian country the biggest source of international arrivals in Vietnam.

The GSO noted in August alone, international arrivals have numbered half a million, increasing 38% from July and 52-fold year on year.

The eight-month tourism revenue is estimated at 660 million USD, 3.4 times as high as in the same period last year, as a result of strong tourism recovery, especially domestic tourism. But the takings are equivalent to just 47.7% of the figure in the same period of 2019. Vietnam targets welcoming 5 million international arrivals in 2022.