Foreign arrivals surge at year-end as Vietnam enters peak season for international tourism

In just October and November of 2024, Vietnam welcomed over 3.1 million international visitors, a promising figure that keeps the tourism industry’s goals for 2025 on track, according to travel agencies.

Statistics unveiled by the General Statistics Office show 1.42 million international visitors travelled across Vietnam in October, a 27.6% increase compared to the same period last year. The number even surged to more than 1.7 million in the following month, marking a 38.8% increase year-on-year.

By the end of November, the total number of international visitors to Vietnam had surpassed 15.8 million, a 41.0% increase from a year earlier.

Pham Duy Nghia, CEO of Vietfoot Travel, says the sharp rise can be attributed to Vietnam’s the peak season for welcoming foreign tourists.

“Vietnam’s peak season for international visitors runs from October to March of the coming year. Western countries are entering the cold winter months, so tourists from these nations seek warmer tropical destinations. This leads to a significant increase in international visitors to Vietnam during this time,” explains the CEO.

Meanwhile, Tran The Dung, CEO of Vietluxtour, believes that Vietnam will achieve its target of welcoming 17 to 18 million international visitors in 2024 and can even raise this target for 2025.

“Since October, Vietluxtour has been receiving three times the number of visitors compared to before. Therefore, the industry’s goal of welcoming around 1.9 million visitors per month is entirely achievable as Vietnam is in the peak international tourist season. I predict we will either meet or come very close to achieving this goal,” shares Dung.

The CEO of Vietluxtour also highlights that in 2025, as Russia and some Eastern European countries move past political instability, Vietnam will have the opportunity to attract even more international visitors.

“Vietnam has the advantage of a long coastline, diverse culture, excellent cuisine, and great climate and infrastructure. In recent years, it has emerged as a safe and politically stable destination. As a result, new tourist markets, such as India and the Republic of Korea, are increasingly choosing Vietnam. So, we can confidently set goals for attracting even more international tourists and make better preparations,” says the CEO.

According to the plan, Vietnam aims to become an attractive destination with high tourism development potential globally in the coming years. It plans to receive 25-28 million international visitors in 2025 and approximately 35 million by 2030. Economically, the tourism industry is expected to contribute directly 8-9% to GDP by 2025 and 13-14% by 2030.

By 2045, tourism will assert its role as a driving force in the economy. Vietnam will become a prominent global destination and one of the top tourism leaders in the Asia-Pacific region. The industry aims to welcome 70 million international visitors, generating total revenue of about VND7.3 billion and contributing 17-18% to GDP.