The number of Vietnamese tourists to the RoK in 2025 is projected to reach approximately 550,000, up 9% compared to 2024, making Vietnam one of the RoK’s most important source markets in Southeast Asia. By comparison, the RoK has remained among Vietnam’s largest inbound tourism markets, with more than 3.9 million Korean visitors recorded.

Despite air connectivity between the two countries not yet fully recovering to 2019 levels, the KTO has been working closely with airlines and travel companies to boost capacity, including supporting charter flights and expanding promotion in emerging Vietnamese markets such as Hai Phong and Da Nang.

With the growing trend of free independent travelers (FIT) to the RoK, the KTO has strengthened cooperation with Vietnamese businesses and online travel platforms (OTAs) to develop diverse tourism products, while also implementing tourism promotion campaigns. Promotional campaigns have focused on Korean cultural experiences, family travel and airfare discounts, tapping into continued interest in the Korean cultural wave, or Hallyu.

In the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism market, the KTO in Vietnam has supported 345 businesses in organising MICE tours to the RoK, equivalent to 41,166 MICE tourists, rising by 12.7% compared to 2024.

In 2026 KTO aims to welcome 600,000 Vietnamese tourists and prepare for new developments in the Vietnamese market. It will pursue a more comprehensive promotion strategy aimed at improving the quality and diversity of tourism offerings for Vietnamese travellers. Plans include expanding outreach beyond major cities, activating cultural-tourism initiatives and strengthening support for travel businesses to promote sustainable growth in the Vietnamese market.

At the Korea tourism night 2025 event and the Korea Tourism Awards 2025 ceremony recently held in Hanoi, Park Eun Jung, Chief Representative of KTO Vietnam said that the organisation would focus not only on increasing visitor numbers but also on deeper cooperation, including tourism product design contests, targeted marketing for independent travellers and support for Vietnamese companies participating in Korean travel fairs.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism also pledged to strengthen strategic cooperation with Korean partners, develop new tourism products aligned with market trends, enhance promotion and accelerate digital transformation to facilitate two-way tourism and business connectivity.

Vietnam is a popular destination for Korean tourists during Chuseok holiday

VOV.VN - Vietnam is one of the favourite destinations overseas for tourists from the Republic of Korea during Chuseok holiday - a major mid-autumn harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month of the year.