Foreign tourists visiting Hội An's old quarter. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam welcomed approximately 1.65 million international tourist arrivals in April, up more than 6 per cent year-on-year but down 19.5 per cent compared to the previous month.

According to a General Statistics Office report released on Tuesday, April saw the lowest monthly figure since the beginning of the year.

Tourism experts attribute the decline in April to the end of the international tourism high season, which typically runs from September or October through to March or April each year in Việt Nam.

Overall, in the first four months of 2025, Việt Nam received an estimated 7.67 million international visitors—an increase of nearly 24 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.

Of these, arrivals by air accounted for nearly 6.6 million, or approximately 86 per cent of the total, followed by 924,900 arrivals by land and more than 158,000 by sea.

China continued to be Việt Nam’s largest source of international arrivals, with 1.95 million visitors in the first four months of the year, an increase of over 56 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. South Korea followed with 1.58 million arrivals, showing a slight decline compared to last year. Taiwan (China) ranked third, with 440,214 arrivals, followed by Japan and India.

Visitors from Asian countries alone accounted for over 5.9 million arrivals during this period, representing nearly 78 per cent of all international tourists.

The Russian market saw particularly strong growth, with 166,460 arrivals, or more than double the figure from the same period last year. This four-month number already represents over 70 per cent of the total Russian arrivals recorded in 2024, making Russia the fastest-growing source market among Việt Nam’s key inbound tourism markets.

The Philippines also demonstrated remarkable growth, with 135,951 visitors, up 198.3 per cent year-on-year and more than double the same period last year. By the end of April, tourist arrivals from the Philippines had surpassed 50 per cent of the full-year figure for 2024.

Tourism-related revenues also showed promising signs. Accommodation and food services in the first four months of 2025 generated an estimated VNĐ270 trillion (US$10.4 billion). Several localities – including Quảng Ninh, Đà Nẵng, HCM City, Hà Nội and Hải Phòng – recorded revenue growth of between 15 and 19 per cent.

Meanwhile, revenue from travel and tour services is estimated to have exceeded VNĐ30 trillion, driven by high travel demand during public holidays, Tết (Lunar New Year) and especially the grand celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification on April 30.

With more than 7.6 million international arrivals recorded in just the first four months of the year, tourism experts consider this a positive sign for achieving the national target of welcoming 22 to 23 million international visitors in 2025. — VNS