Vietnam: overseas visitor arrivals rebound in Q1

Foreign visitor arrivals in the first quarter of the year have already reached one-third of the country’s 2023 target of 8 million.

Vietnam.- Foreign visitor arrivals in Vietnam have already reached a third of the government’s target for the year, reaching 2.7 million in Q1. According to data from the General Statistics Office, numbers were up by 2,045.2 per cent from the same period in 2022. Some 71.9 per cent were from Asian countries, with over 2.4 million arriving by air, 241,900 by road and 33,700 by sea.

Vietnam has a target of 8 million visitors this year. It began easing entry conditions last March, becoming one of the first Southeast Asian nations to try to normalise travel amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but only received 3.6 million foreign tourists in 2022, roughly 20 per cent of pre-pandemic figures.

In March, several Vietnamese airlines resumed flights between Vietnam and cities in mainland China. To further boost tourism, authorities have proposed extending the eVisa duration of stay for passport holders from certain countries from one month to three months. The proposal is set to be discussed in May at the National Assembly.

Vietnam has several casinos, and all but one are open to foreigners only. In February, it emerged that Da Lat City in Lam Dong province was considering allowing casinos to boost tourism.