International tourists visiting the Tràng An Complex in the northern province of Ninh Bình. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — There were 1.27 million international visitors to Việt Nam in September, according to the latest report from the General Statistics Office.

This marks a slight decline from the August number which saw 1.43 million arrivals.

In the third quarter of this year, international visitors to Việt Nam totalled over 3.8 million.

In the first nine months of the year, international visitors reached 12.7 million, jumping by 43 per cent compared to last year's same period.

Air arrivals accounted for nearly 10.8 million, representing 84.9 per cent of the total, and representing an increase of 38.7 per cent year on year. Land arrivals reached nearly 1.8 million, accounting for 13.8 per cent, up by 68.1 per cent.

Breakdown by country, South Korea remained the largest source market in September, with over 355,000 visitors coming to Việt Nam, followed by China with more than 257,000 visitors. Other top markets included Taiwan (China), Japan and the United States.

Overall, in the first nine months of the year, the lion's share of tourists to Việt Nam is from Asia with over 10.12 million arrivals (up by 47.7 per cent year on year), followed by Europe (over 1.4 million arrivals, up by nearly 40 per cent), Americas (736,600 arrivals, up 7.9 per cent), Oceania (391,300 arrivals, up by 25.8 per cent), and Africa (38,800 arrivals, with the largest increase of 90.7 per cent over the previous year).

The number of Vietnamese people travelling abroad in September 2024 was 421,800, a decrease of 15.9 per cent compared to the same period last year.

In the nine months, the number of Vietnamese people going abroad reached 4.1 million, an increase of 6.1 per cent year on year.

At the end of September, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MOCST) successfully carried out a tourism and cinema promotion programme in the United States from September 23 to 25, under the theme “Việt Nam- A New Destination for World Cinema”.

The programme showcased Việt Nam tourism destinations and filming location potential, attracting Hollywood studios to shoot films in Việt Nam. These films are expected to generate international media attention, promoting tourism and attracting more visitors to the country.

Despite the decrease in visitor numbers in September, the tourism industry is determined to meet the goal of attracting 17-18 million international visitors this year, as the last three months are the peak season for international arrivals in Việt Nam.

"Based on these factors, the goal of welcoming 18 million international visitors this year is achievable," said Nguyễn lê Phúc, Deputy Director of the National Tourism Administration of Việt Nam.

Phúc also remarked that the tourism industry in the northern region is recovering fast from the impacts of the super typhoon hitting the country in early September.

India is also among the fastest growing markets to Việt Nam, especially high-profile events by the Indian elites, and many promotion campaigns in the south Asian country have been carried out. — VNS