Foreign tourists visit Keo Hành Thiện pagoda in Ninh Bình Province in June. Việt Nam welcomes nearly 1.7 million international visitors in June alone despite being in the low season. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Lành

HÀ NỘI — More than 12 million international tourists visited Việt Nam in the last six months, reaching almost half of the year’s target.

Data from the National Statistics Office showed that the country welcomed 12.3 million foreign visitors in the first six months of the year, up nearly 15 per cent from the same period of last year. 

This means that the tourism industry has reached nearly half of the year’s target of welcoming 25 million international visitors.

Nearly 1.7 million came in June alone despite being in the low season, an annual increase of 14.7 per cent. 

China is the largest source of visitors for the first half of the year, with 2.7 million, followed by South Korea with nearly 2.2 million.

These two markets account for nearly 40 per cent of the total international visitors, demonstrating a driving force for Việt Nam’s tourism industry.

Russia remains the third-largest market with 742,700 visitors, almost double the number from the same period last year.

Next came Taiwan (China), the US, Cambodia, India and Japan, with 638,000, 530,000, 509,000, 491,000 and 442,000 visitors, respectively.

In terms of continents, the highest surge was seen in the number of visitors from Europe, up 56.1 per cent from the first half of last year.

Poland led the growth with over 52 per cent increase, followed by the Czech Republic (over 30 per cent), Switzerland (25.7 per cent) and Sweden (23.8 per cent).

Visitors from these countries are granted a 45-day visa waiver until August 15, 2028, as per the Government’s Resolution 229 that took effect August 15 last year.

Visa-exempt countries also contributed to the growth, including Denmark, Germany, France, Italy and the UK.

Southeast Asia continues to be an important market, with the Philippines leading the visitor growth with a 67.6 per cent increase, followed by Cambodia,  Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

According to the National Authority of Tourism, amid the challenging global economy, ongoing geopolitical conflicts and changing international tourism trends, Việt Nam remains a safe, stable destination with a rich culture, competitive costs and increasingly improved service quality.

Further growth is forecast for the tourism industry in the second half of the year as it will be the peak travel season for tourists from Northeast Asia, Europe and North America. — VNS