Vietnam has set a new record for international tourist arrivals, receiving more than 6 million visitors in the first quarter of this year - a 30% increase compared to the same period last year and the highest quarterly figure in the country’s history.

According to the General Statistics Office, over 2 million international tourists visited Vietnam in March alone, marking a 28.5% year-on-year rise.

Following the strong recovery of 98% in 2024, international arrivals in Q1 surged by 134% compared to Q1 2019, setting a new all-time high.

Among the top ten source markets, China continues to lead, with nearly 1.6 million visitors to Vietnam in the first three months of 2025. South Korea ranks second with 1.26 million arrivals. Together, these two markets contributed 47% of all international tourists to Vietnam.

Taiwan (China) came in third with 331,000 visitors, followed by the United States with 259,000. Cambodia ranked fifth with 234,000 visitors, Japan sixth with 226,000, followed by Australia, India, Malaysia, and Russia.

Significantly, the main driver of growth was the Chinese market, which saw a remarkable 78.3% increase compared to the same period last year. Other major markets also showed strong performance: South Korea increased by 2.2%, Taiwan (China) by 10.2%, the U.S. by 11.3%, Japan by 26.3%, Australia by 11%, and India by 23.3%.

Neighboring Southeast Asian markets also recorded robust growth.

In Europe, markets benefiting from Vietnam’s unilateral visa exemption policies saw double-digit increases. The UK rose by 23.5%, France by 28.3%, Germany by 23.3%, and Italy by 29%. Russia showed an extraordinary growth of 110.5%.

Additionally, Poland and Switzerland experienced sharp increases in visitor numbers, rising by nearly 539% and 14.1% respectively compared to the same period in 2024.

These gains reflect the effectiveness of Vietnam’s short-term visa waiver for citizens of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland, implemented from March 1 to December 31, 2025, under the national tourism stimulus program. This policy is expected to drive further growth in arrivals from these three European markets throughout 2025.

Travel companies report that international inbound tourism has continued to soar in the first quarter, signaling a strong recovery and accelerating growth.

If the current pace continues, Vietnam’s tourism sector is well on track to achieve its goal of attracting 22 to 23 million international visitors by year’s end.

Ngoc Ha