Tourists visiting the Hoàn Kiếm (Returned Sword) Lake in the historical district Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, during the Lunar New Year holiday. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Nearly 2.1 million foreign visitors arrived in Việt Nam in January, an increase of 18.5 per cent compared to the previous month and up 36.9 per cent compared to the same period last year.

According to the monthly report by the General Statistics Office, released on Thursday, visitors from Asian markets accounted for the majority of those arrivals in the first month of 2025 with 1.6 million visitors, followed by European nations with 266,700 visitors and those visiting from the Americas, 119,700.

Most tourists took flights in, reaching 1.8 million, accounting for 86.8 per cent of the total, up by 39.6 per cent year-on-year.

Arrivals over land totalled 228,400, accounting for 11 per cent and increasing by 29.1 per cent, while arrivals by sea reached 44,900, accounting for 2.2 per cent, but decreasing by 7.2 per cent.

According to the Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism, the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday (January 25 - February 2) recorded a significant increase in international arrivals across many provinces.

For example, Quảng Ninh welcomed an estimated 228,700 visitors, Đà Nẵng over 228,000 visitors, up 29 per cent from last year and Quảng Nam welcomed around 157,000 visitors, up 40 per cent.

Meanwhile, the capital Hà Nội received approximately 142,000 visitors, up 15.8 per cent and HCM City welcomed an estimated 87,300 visitors, up 16.5 per cent.

The increase in international visitors to Việt Nam is attributed to several factors, notably favourable visa policies and strong tourism promotion programmes.

Việt Nam has also been continuously recognised with prestigious tourism awards from international organisations, enhancing its image and attracting more visitors. Moreover, the demand for travel during holidays has contributed to the rise in international arrivals.

The surge in international visitors has played a crucial role in the strong recovery of the tourism industry. Revenue from travel services in January was estimated at VNĐ5.1 trillion (US$201.8 million), up 17.3 per cent year-on-year.

At the same time, January’s tourism revenue in several localities also increased year on year. Specifically, the south-central province of Khánh Hòa saw a rise of 36.6 per cent, Đà Nẵng 21 per cent, HCM City 17 per cent, Cần Thơ in the Mekong Delta 16 per cent, Hà Nội 14.8 per cent, and Quảng Ninh 14.7 per cent.

Revenues from accommodation and food services also grew by 14.8 per cent year-on-year, reaching an estimated VNĐ67.3 trillion.

In 2025, the tourism sector aims to serve 22–23 million international tourists. Previously, in 2024, Việt Nam's tourism industry welcomed over 17.5 million international visitors, a 39.5 per cent increase from 2023, successfully achieving its target.

South Korea was Việt Nam's largest source of visitors in 2024, with 4.5 million arrivals, followed by China with 3.7 million arrivals.

From March 1, citizens of three European countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland) will be granted visa exemptions for entry into Việt Nam for tourism purposes. — VNS