South Korean tourists getting to know about southern fruit specialties at Bến Thành Market, District 1, HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Đạt

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam welcomed 7.583 million international visitors in the first five months of 2024, with Chinese tourists in the highest numbers hitting the top spot in May, the first time this has happened in five years.

According to the latest report from the General Statistics Office, in total, the five-month figure represents an increase of nearly 65 per cent compared to the same period last year and a 3.9 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2019, the year before COVID-19.

Air travel accounted for 83.7 per cent of arrivals (6.3 million), land travel for 14.2 per cent (1.1 million) and sea travel for 2.1 per cent (162,400).

The majority of the visitors came from Asia with 5.89 million, followed by Europe, 976,000, and the Americas, 460,100.

In May, the number of foreign tourists to Việt Nam reached nearly 1.4 million, a 51 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, despite it being the off-peak season (Việt Nam's peak season falls between September-October to April), which could be attributed to favourable visa policies and enhanced tourism promotion programmes in 2024.

China regained its leading position in the Vietnamese tourism market with nearly 357,200 visitors, a 143 per cent increase compared to the same month last year.

The total number of Chinese tourists in the first five months of this year reached 1.6 million, more than a 300 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Việt Nam also recorded a significant increase in international visitors from Taiwan (China) with nearly 111,000 visitors, a 90 per cent increase; the United States with over 48,600 visitors, a 10.7 per cent increase; Cambodia with 41,200 visitors, a 30 per cent increase; and India with over 38,300 visitors, a 31 per cent increase.

Several more distant markets also saw considerable growth, such as Italy with nearly a 52 per cent increase, Spain with a 34.4 per cent increase, France with a 30 per cent increase, the Netherlands and Switzerland with a 25 per cent increase, and Australia with a 23.4 per cent increase.

The Russian market began to rebound, with over 16,000 visitors to Việt Nam in May, rising by 80 per cent compared to the same period last year. Polish tourists, though fewer in number at just over 2,240, saw an impressive increase of over 300 per cent.

According to the GSO, revenues from accommodation and food services in the first five months of 2024 nationwide is estimated to reach VNĐ 296.3 trillion (US$11.64 billion), up 15.1 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Some localities saw significant increases such as Khánh Hoà (26.4 per cent increase), Quảng Ninh (23.5 per cent), Đà Nẵng (22.2 per cent), Hải Phòng (14.9 per cent), Hà Nội (12.4 per cent), and Cần Thơ (11.5 per cent).

Revenue from travel services in the first five months of 2024 is also projected to reach VNĐ24.2 trillion ($950 million), 45.1 per cent higher year on year. Đà Nẵng saw a 52 per cent increase, HCM City a 46 per cent, and Hà Nội a 44.6 per cent rise. — VNS