VIETNAM ATTRACTS OVER 15.4 MILLION INTERNATIONAL VISITORS IN JAN-SEPT

Foreign visitors take a selfie during their trip in Vietnam - PHOTO: ARCHIVES

HCMC – Vietnam saw over 15.4 million international visitors coming in the first nine months of this year, rising 21.5% year-on-year, supported by favorable visa policy and intensified tourism promotions.

Data from the National Statistics Office showed that around 1.5 million foreign tourists came to Vietnam in September, down 9.6% compared to August but still 19.5% higher than in the same month last year. Overall, international arrivals in the January-September period reached more than 15.4 million, up 21.5% year-on-year.

The growth was attributed to easier visa rules, stronger tourism promotion campaigns, and festivities celebrating major holidays, which have helped attract more international travelers.

Air arrivals accounted for the majority with 13.1 million visitors, up 21.9% year-on-year and making up 85.2% of the total. Road arrivals reached 2.1 million, up 19.4%, while sea arrivals stood at 190,600, up 15.1%.

Asia remained Vietnam’s largest source market with 12.24 million arrivals, a 20.9% increase. Europe followed with 1.9 million, soaring 34.9%. Visitors from the Americas reached nearly 800,000, up 8.5%, while arrivals from Australia totaled 445,000, up 13.7%. Africa sent 40,700 tourists, up 4.7%.

The top five markets in January-September were China with nearly 3.9 million visitors, South Korea with 3.24 million, Taiwan with 926,400, the U.S. with 622,576, and Japan with 617,772.

Several markets recorded sharp growth, including Russia (up 273%), the Philippines (192.2%), Cambodia (150.4%), Poland (146%), and India (142.9%).

Meanwhile, outbound Vietnamese travelers numbered 1.37 million in the third quarter of 2025, down 4.8% year-on-year. In the first nine months, 5.44 million Vietnamese traveled abroad, up 33.1% against the same period last year.

Vietnam’s tourism sector is targeting 25 million international visitors this year. However, experts said the goal remains challenging, urging authorities to expand visa exemptions, develop cruise tourism, launch new air routes, diversify tourism products, improve destination management, and simplify administrative procedures.

On August 15, Vietnam began granting visa exemptions to citizens of 12 countries and territories, namely Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland, with a visa-free stay of up to 45 days for tourism purposes.

Source: The Saigon Times