Foreign tourists enjoy coffee in the front of the Continental Hotel in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Đạt

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam may attract 10 million foreign tourist arrivals this year, surpassing the target of eight million previously set by the sector at the beginning of the year, according to deputy head of the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Hà Văn Siêu.

In the first four months of 2023, nearly 3.7 million foreign tourists travelled to Việt Nam, and the number of domestic tourists was 38 million. Total revenue was estimated at VNĐ196.6 trillion (US$8.3 billion).

Meanwhile, thanks to exciting cultural and tourism activities – especially festivals – taking place in many localities in the early months of the year, travel revenue was estimated at VNĐ9.1 trillion, nearly 2.1 times the figure of the same period last year.

In April alone, the country welcomed 984,000 international travellers, the highest figure from the beginning of this year and an increase of 9.9 per cent from the previous month. It served 10.5 million domestic tourists in the month.

The Republic of Korea remains Việt Nam’s biggest tourism market in the first four months with one million visitors, followed by the US with 263,000 and China with 252,000.

The number of Chinese tourists to Việt Nam in April was 112,000, up 61.5 per cent from the previous month thanks to China’s border reopening to group tours from March 15.

The VNAT said that the main growth driver for the international tourism market is currently China.

The Việt Nam tourism desk under the Guangxi Overseas Travel Service Co., Ltd. in Nanning city, Guangxi Province, forecast that the number of Chinese tourists to Việt Nam will surge in summer.

VNAT also predicted that the number of tourists from China will recover at a faster rate than those of other markets due to its population, with demand growing day-by-day since the country resumed outbound travel. Its recovery is expected to increase pace after summer and accelerate in October and the final months of this year.

Australia and India are now well-positioned to increase the number of tourists to Việt Nam as the national carrier Vietnam Airlines and the budget carrier Vietjet recently opened direct flights connecting many major cities between the two countries.

In Southeast Asia, Thailand and Cambodia are recovering well, equivalent to the pre-pandemic levels, and are forecast to maintain growth thanks to their geographical proximity to Việt Nam.

In the ongoing plenary session in May, the National Assembly is scheduled to adopt a resolution on new policies related to visas, immigration, and entry, including extending the electronic visa validity period from no more than 30 days to three months at most, for single or multiple entry. They will grant e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories, and increase the duration of temporary residence certificates at the border gate for people eligible for unilateral visa-free entry from 15 days to 45 days. This will be an important driving force contributing to attracting foreign tourists to Việt Nam in the coming time.

This year, Việt Nam is striving to earn around VNĐ650 trillion ($27.68 billion) from tourism services. — VNS