Foreign tourists enjoy Christmas atmosphere in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s target of welcoming 12.5 million to 13 million international arrivals in 2023 has been achieved, said Phạm Văn Thủy, deputy head of Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), said at a conference on State tourism management on Thursday.

He said after being severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for two years, Vietnamese tourism had made a recovery, gained momentum and achieved results as expected.

In the first 10 months of this year, the number of foreign arrivals to Việt Nam surpassed the 8-million target. Việt Nam then increased the international arrival target to 12.5-13 million, and had accomplished the goal, he said.

According to VNAT, the number of international arrivals to Việt Nam in 2023 is estimated at 12.5 million. The country also welcomed 108 million domestic arrivals.

Total revenue from tourism is estimated to reach VNĐ672 trillion. The competitiveness of Việt Nam’s tourism continues to be enhanced globally.

This year the VNAT was honoured to receive the title "Asia's Leading Tourism Management Agency " for the fourth time. Việt Nam was honoured by the World Travel Awards as the world's leading heritage destination, while many destinations and tourism businesses received other prestigious award categories.

Thủy said Việt Nam still needed solutions to remove bottlenecks and tackle shortcomings in State management and tourism business.

He cited foreigners working illegally as tour guides or Vietnamese businesses violating tourism business laws as examples of the dark side of Vietnamese tourism.

He said some tourist destinations remained unclean without ensuring security or safe conditions. Việt Nam had not hosted any impressive large-scale national tourism promotion programme that brings together localities and businesses.

The VNAT proposed strengthening management at tourist destinations, preserving and promoting natural and cultural values for sustainable tourism development. Tourism sites must ensure security and safety for tourists, pay special attention to environmental sanitation and food hygiene, while encouraging the participation of local people and businesses in building a cultural, civilised, friendly and hospitable tourism environment to make every citizen a tourism ambassador.

The authority also proposed promoting tourism linkage among localities in which the VNAT, as the national tourism agency, takes the orientation role and big tourism hubs such as Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng, HCM City, Cần Thơ, Quảng Ninh, Ninh Bình, Thừa Thiên Huế and Khánh Hòa would act as leaders in creating regional tourism growth drivers and making “one tour, multiple destinations”.

Hà Nội sees incredible surge

The capital Hà Nội enjoyed an incredible surge in the total number of tourists in 2023, with 24 million visitors coming to the city.

This figure represents a remarkable 27 per cent increase compared to the previous year and a heartening 83 per cent of the pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019. This not only breathes new life into the local economy but also showcases the city's enduring charm as a travel destination.

International visitors to Hà Nội surged, one of the city’s standout tourism achievements in 2023, totalling 4 million. This marks an impressive 138.1 per cent increase compared to the prior year and a significant rebound, reaching 57 per cent of the pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The influx of international tourists reflects Hà Nội's resilience and its capacity to draw global travellers, even amid global uncertainties.

The city welcomed 20 million domestic visitors in 2023, reflecting a 16 per cent increase from the previous year and an impressive 91 per cent recovery compared to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. This surge in domestic tourism highlights the growing interest of locals in exploring the cultural and historical treasures within their own country. —VNS