VIETNAM’S Q1 FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS HIT RECORD HIGH

Foreign tourists walk along Nguyen Van Binh Book Street in HCMC - PHOTO: NGUYEN PHONG

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HCMC – Vietnam welcomed nearly 2.1 million international visitors in March, bringing first quarter foreign tourist arrivals to 6.76 million, up 12.4% year-on-year and marking a record high for the period, the national authority for tourism said.

Air travel accounted for 82.3% of international arrivals, followed by land at 15.5% and sea at 2.2%, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

Despite tensions in the Middle East pushing up fuel prices and disrupting some international routes, air arrivals remained strong, reflecting Vietnam’s connectivity and appeal to international travelers.

Meanwhile, land arrivals highlighted the continued importance of neighboring markets such as China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, whose proximity, lower travel costs and faster recovery have helped support overall growth.

China and South Korea remained Vietnam’s top source markets in the first quarter of this year, with 1.4 million and 1.3 million visitors respectively, making up about 40% of total arrivals.

In Southeast Asia, several markets recorded strong growth, including Malaysia up 21.5%, Singapore up 30.2%, Cambodia up 41.1%, Indonesia up 43.9% and the Philippines up 69.3%, while Thailand rose 6.5%. In South Asia, India also posted a 69.3% increase.

European markets grew by about 55.6% overall. In March alone, arrivals from Europe still rose from a year earlier despite disruptions to some international routes.

Several markets posted gains, including Canada up 24.2%, New Zealand up 19.4%, Poland up 19.2%, Switzerland up 18.9%, Australia up 18.4%, the United States up 17%, Denmark up 13.9%, Germany up 15.2% and Norway up 12%, while Russia surged 163.4%.

The tourism authority said expanded visa exemptions, longer stays, more entry points for e-visa holders and increased international flight frequencies helped drive growth in the first quarter.

Source: The Saigon Times