Foreign tourists to Vietnam in September grow 28 percent

Vietnam continues to show its hidden charm, attracting an estimated 7.3 million foreign visitors in the first nine months this year, up 25 percent year-on-year.

Arrivals in September totaled 813,000, up 28 percent from the same month last year, thanks to strong performances in almost all markets, the General Statistics Department said in a report.

China remained the biggest source of visitors with nearly two million coming so far this year, up 58 percent.

The second biggest market, South Korea, saw a 40 percent increase to 1.13 million. It was followed by Japan, up 11 percent to nearly 560,000.

Japanese and South Korean visitors can visit Vietnam for up to 15 days without a visa. Other markets that benefit from the same policy – Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK – saw increases of up to 31 percent.

Cambodia was the only market with a slump in the first nine months.

New Zealand was among some of the fastest growing markets. Air New Zealand launched a non-stop service between Ho Chi Minh City and Auckland in June, and the number of New Zealand visitors has surged 82 percent since.