The number marks an increase of 21.5% compared to the same period of the previous year and positions Vietnam as a leader in global growth in terms of tourism.
The rise of international tourism has also boosted the income of the sector. In the first nine months of the year, revenues from tourism and travel agencies reached approximately 69.6 billion dongs ($2.6 billion), a year-on-year growth of 20.5%.
Several localities stood out with significant increases, including Ho Chi Minh City (24.3%), Hanoi (21.9%), Quang Ninh, where Ha Long Bay is located – one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in the world – showed an increase of 20.2%, and Da Nang had a 13.2% increase.
At the same time, the accommodation and catering sector generated revenues of 624.4 billion dongs ($23.6 billion), 14.8% more than in the previous year. Revenues from other services, such as transportation, entertainment and health, totaled 534.1 billion dongs ($20.26 billion), an increase of 12.1%.
Tourists in Vietnam
Visitors arrive mainly from China, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Japan and India, 84.5% of tourists arrived by air, 15.3% by road and 0.2% by sea.
In detail, China tops the list of sending countries with 3.9 million visitors (25.2%), followed by South Korea with 3.2 million (21%). Other relevant markets are Taiwan (China), the United States and Japan, while India has climbed to sixth place among the ten main issuing countries, showing a diversification in the origin of tourists.
Several markets experienced outstanding growth, such as China (+43.9%), India (+42.9%) and Japan (+17.1%). In particular, the Russian market showed an exceptional increase of 173%, while other important European countries such as France, the United Kingdom and Germany recorded increases between 17.5% and 22.6%.