Foreign tourists visiting Ninh Bình Province, Việt Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — November saw a surge in international visitors to Việt Nam, with approximately 1.7 million arrivals—the highest monthly total so far in 2024—marking a 20.5 per cent increase compared to October and a 38.8 per cent rise year-on-year.

This year's November arrivals equalled to 94 per cent of the visitor count in November 2019.

According to the latest report from the General Statistics Office released today, international arrivals totalled in the first 11 months of 2024 reached more than 15.8 million, marking a 41.0 per cent increase year-on-year, bringing the country closer to its goal of welcoming 17-18 million international tourists set earlier this year.

Experts noted that the sharp increase in November is expected, as Việt Nam is in the peak international tourism season from October to March. The previous record for monthly international arrivals was set in November 2019, with over 1.8 million visitors.

South Korea remains Việt Nam's top tourism market, contributing nearly 400,000 visitors in November. China ranked second in November with close to 340,000 visitors. The top 10 also included travellers from Taiwan, Japan, India, the United States, Cambodia, and Australia.

An impressive surge was noted in visitors from France, with over 33,000 arrivals in November—a 144 per cent increase compared to October—placing France among Việt Nam's top 12 source markets. Singapore ranked 11th, contributing over 35,000 arrivals.

European markets saw the highest growth rates, led by Poland (up 330 per cent compared to October), followed by Italy, Russia, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, the UK, and Germany. Meanwhile, in the Asia-Pacific region, notable growth was observed in arrivals from the Philippines, Cambodia, India, Singapore, and Malaysia.

In the whole 11 months, the lion's share of tourists continues to be from Asian markets, with numbers from South Korea, China, Chinese Taipei, and Japan accounting for 60 per cent of the total arrivals.

Specifically, South Korea takes the top position with a total of over 4.1 million arrivals (26.1 per cent), followed by China (3.3 million, or 22.2 per cent), Taiwan (1.1 million), the United States (706,000), and Japan (656,000). India, Malaysia, Australia, and Cambodia, and Thailand follow closely behind.

In Europe, the UK led with over 279,000 visitors, trailed by France, Germany, and Russia.

According to officials from the Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism, Việt Nam's recent visa liberalisation policies and active promotion campaigns in many international markets have significantly boosted international arrivals.

The tourism sector is confident it will meet its goal of 17-18 million international visitors by the end of 2024.