HCM City welcomed nearly 27 million domestic visitors in the first nine months of 2023, up 24.9 per cent year-on-year, and about 3.6 million foreign visitors, a 69 per cent year-on-year increase.

Vietnam’s tourism sector is working hard to attract more tourists from Muslim countries (Halal tourists) which is seen as a potential market for the global tourism industry.

Self-drive tours between Mong Cai City, Quang Ninh Province and Dongxing City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, will be resumed at the end of this month after a test run concluded in June 2020.

With its rich and diverse culinary heritage and the refinement in cooking and enjoyment cultivated over thousands of years, VN holds huge potential to develop culinary tourism, turning its gastronomy into a captivating advantage to attract visitors.

Large pools of internet users are expected to be the foundation for the development of smart tourism and accelerating digital transformation in the sector.

In high season, the prices of air tickets fluctuate dramatically. They suddenly soar and then plummet, causing customers to lose confidence in airlines.

Vietnam is considering raising the target for foreign travelers from 8 million to 12.5-13 million in 2023. However, barriers need to be removed to pave the way for full recovery of the tourism industry.

Vietnam's tourism industry could achieve its goal of welcoming 12-13 million visitors by the end of this year, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Pham Van Thuy said.

Tourism is not just a service, but an industry and economic sector with particularly important contributions to the economy.

The robust growth of Vietnam's tourism sector has demonstrated strong recovery and development, promoting the country’s image and its people to international friends, while gradually solidifying its position on the world tourism map.

For 15 years, Kerry Newsome developed a passion for VN which led her to work with a local hotel group and tour operator as a tourism consultant.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will propose the Government revise the target of international tourists to 12.5-13 million from only 8 million this year, a 56% increase from the plan set at the beginning of the year.

The Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA) and the Korea Tourism Organisation of the Republic of Korea (KTO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bolstering tourism cooperation in Hanoi on September 28.

With digital transformation accelerated, a kaleidoscope of smart tourism offerings has been developed to provide new experiences for travelers and help recover the tourism industry, which was battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agencies are still busy learning about MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) tourism, while travel firms are still trying to find solutions to develop this type of tourism, which is expected to lead the industry in the future.

By the end of 2024, international tourism in Vietnam can recover and reach 80% of the pre-pandemic level in an optimistic scenario, heard a workshop on Vietnam tourism 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City on September 21.

The country has been named as a leading travel destination for international tourists, according to a list compiled by digital travel platform Agoda.

To improve the effectiveness of tourism promotion, many localities concentrate on marketing programmes specific to their area, and in line with key themes.

Representatives of lodging facilities said they will offer big discounts to those using high-end services in the last months of the year that mark the peak travel season.

Foreign tourists, especially the Chinese, highly appreciate and have positive responses to VN’s new visa policy, which is an opportunity for VN’s tourism to increase competitiveness with regional countries.