SYDNEY — The number of Vietnamese tourists to Australia grew more than 50 per cent as compared with the pre-COVID-19 pandemic level, Australian Tourism and Trade Minister Don Farrell said on June 26.

The number promises growth opportunities for Austrian firms, he said, noting that to help them optimise opportunities in Southeast Asia, the tourism research data has, for the first time, included information about Vietnam, the fastest-growing passenger market of Australia.

The minister said his agency will work harder to enhance connection with Southeast Asia and attract more visitors from the region.

According to the official, New Zealand, China, the US, the UK, and India are currently Australia’s top five international tourism markets, and Australia is working hard to encourage more and more visitors from around the world to book a holiday in the country.

He said international tourist numbers are close to recovering to pre-pandemic levels and visitors are splashing more money in Australia.

Some 150,000 Vietnamese visited Australia in 2023, while the number of Australian travelers to Việt Nam in 2023 reached 390,000, compared to the 383,000 in 2019. In the first five months of this year, Việt Nam welcomed 213,000 Australian visitors, an increase of 35 per cent year-on-year, making Australia the seventh largest source of tourists to the Southeast Asian nation. — VNS