Government Considers Increasing Tourist Arrival Target to 13 Million

The Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is considering raising the target for foreign tourist arrivals to 13 million, as the original goal of eight million has already been achieved.

By the end of September, Vietnam had welcomed 8.9 million visitors. According to travel market intelligence firm OUTBOX CONSULTING, Vietnam’s initial target of eight million was the lowest among the top five Southeast Asian tourism countries.

Deputy Minister Doan Van Viet stated at a recent tourism conference that the ministry aims to increase the target by 56%, as they anticipate at least 1.2 million visitors per month for the remainder of the year.

The peak tourism season in Vietnam typically spans from September to April, attracting Western tourists seeking winter destinations.

Since August 15, Vietnam has been offering e-visas to citizens of all countries for 90 days with multiple entries. Additionally, the duration of stay in Vietnam has been extended from 15 to 45 days for citizens of 13 countries unilaterally exempted from visas.

Prior to the pandemic, Chinese and Russian tourists were the largest tourism markets for Vietnam. However, the number of Chinese tourists from January to September was only 1.1 million, equivalent to 28% of pre-pandemic levels. Russia is no longer among the top 10 tourist markets for Vietnam.