The number of foreign visitors to Việt Nam rose by 8.7 per cent year on year to 11.3 million in the first eight months of this year. Photo vietnamtourist.gov.vn

HÀ NỘI  Việt Nam welcomed 11.3 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of this year, during which the highest growth rate was seen in visitors from Asian countries and territories, especially South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan.

According to the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism Administration (VNAT), in the first eight months of this year, the number of foreign visitors to Việt Nam rose by 8.7 per cent year on year to 11.3 million, including 1.5 million in August.

Arrivals by air reached 8.9 million, up 5.6 per cent year on year. 2.2 million arrived by road, 2.2 million, up 25 per cent, but the number of visitors coming to Việt Nam by sea fell 6 per cent to 171,800.

During the period, there were 8.8 million visitors from Asia, accounting for 78.1 per cent of the total number of foreign tourists up 9.9 per cent year on year.

There were 2.8 million South Korean visitors, up 22.5 per cent, 620,700 Japanese visitors, up 13.7 per cent and 596,400 Taiwanese, up 27.1 per cent.

Malaysia sent 382,800 visitors, up 14.6 per cent, 311,000 came from Thailand, up 46.3 per cent and 189,800 came from Singapore, up 5.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, visitors from China still accounted for the largest proportion at 3.4 million, but this number was down 0.9 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The number of visitors from Europe was estimated at 1.5 million, up 5.3 per cent year on year, including Russia (up 5.7 per cent), the United Kingdom (4.5 per cent), France (up 0.9 per cent) and Germany (up 5.6 per cent).

Việt Nam received 676,000 visitors from the Americas, up 6.2 per cent over the same period last year, with the number of visitors from the US up 7.1 per cent.

The number of visitors from Africa rose 8.3 per cent year on year to 30,200. However, arrivals from Australia fell 1.5 per cent to 296,000. — VNS