The number of international tourists visiting Vietnam in July topped 1.15 million, lifting the total in the first seven months to nearly 10 million, expanding by 10.9% and 51% year-on-year, respectively.
The total number of international tourists in 2023 is estimated at 12.5 million, meeting the target of 12.5-13 million international arrivals, it was reported at a workshop on management of the tourism sector in the new situation held by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) in Hanoi on December 21.
The new visa policy, which will officially take effect from August 15, is expected to offer a good chance for the tourism sector of the south-central coastal province of Binh Thuan in particular and Vietnam in general, to attract more international tourits.
Cambodia attracted 1.29 million international visitors in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 709% over the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Tourism's report released on May 23.
The Republic of Korea has become Vietnam's largest international tourist source with more than 810,000 Korean visitors visiting the country in the first three months of 2023, an increase of 55% over the same period in 2022 and equal to 81% of the pre-pandemic level.
The south central province of Binh Thuan is endowed with sand hills and dunes dubbed as “little deserts,” whose colours change depending on the angle of the sun or cloud cover.
The visa exemption policy for citizens of five European countries will expire in the next three months. Whether and when it might be renewed are still open questions, creating a headache for tourists and Vietnamese businesses that serve them.
International tourist arrivals to Vietnam exceeded 1 million again in October, an increase of 5 percent over September and 24.7 percent from the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office.
Vietnam expected international arrivals to reach 10 million in 2016, a landmark for the country, as the number of foreign tourists has surpassed 9 million so far this year.
