A group of foreign tourists visiting Independence Palace in District 1, HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Đạt

Việt Nam welcomed 1.9 million international arrivals in February, about 90 per cent of the previous month's figure and up 130 per cent compared to the same period in 2019 (the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic), according to newly released data from the finance ministry's General Statistics Office on Thursday.

Overall, in the first two months of 2025, international arrivals to Việt Nam reached nearly four million, marking a 30.2 per cent increase year-over-year.

Notably, the Chinese market showed massive growth at 77.8 per cent, while some other markets saw steady increases, such as South Korea, which grew by 4.9 per cent, Taiwan by 10.1 per cent, the United States by 15.7 per cent and Japan by 37.3 per cent.

Arrivals from neighbouring Southeast Asian nations also experienced significant growth, including the Philippines (99.8 per cent), Thailand (93.2 per cent), Cambodia (79.6 per cent), Indonesia (18.5 per cent) and Malaysia (12.5 per cent). However, the Singaporean market declined by 8.2 per cent.

India, a key potential market, recorded a 16.3 per cent increase, while Australia grew by 7.6 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.

European markets continued to show impressive growth, especially those benefitting from Việt Nam's unilateral visa exemption policy. Arrivals from the UK increased by 24.1 per cent, France by 30.2 per cent, Germany by 26.7 per cent, Italy by 31.5 per cent, Spain by 19.9 per cent, Russia by 104.3 per cent, Denmark by 20.9 per cent, Sweden by 21.8 per cent and Norway by 21.4 per cent.

Additionally, Poland and Switzerland saw rising visitor numbers, increasing by 54.2 per cent and 14.2 per cent, respectively, compared to the same period in 2024.

Experts attribute this growth partly to the Vietnamese Government’s visa exemption policies for key markets. Furthermore, Resolution 11/NQ-CP, which grants short-term visa exemptions for Polish, Czech and Swiss citizens from March 1 to December 31 under the 2025 Tourism Development Stimulus Programme, is expected to further attract visitors from these three European markets.

More robust efforts in tourism promotion programmes, and the fact that Việt Nam has earned prestigious international tourism awards, have also contributed to the uptick in international arrivals.

Strong growth in revenues

The revenue from accommodation and food services in the first two months of 2025 is estimated at VNĐ131.1 trillion (over US$5.1 billion), up 12.5 per cent year-on-year. Some localities recording high year-on-year growth in revenues include Quảng Ninh (20.1 per cent), Đà Nẵng (16.4 per cent) and Hải Phòng (13.8 per cent).

Meanwhile, travel and tourism revenue in the first two months of 2025 is estimated at VNĐ14.1 trillion (nearly $553 million), up by 16.4 per cent compared to last year.

Seeing nearly four million international arrivals in the first two months of the year reflects the positive momentum of Việt Nam's tourism industry, following its strong recovery in 2024. However, while the early months of the year mark a peak season for international tourism, the upcoming months will see a focus on domestic travel.

Leaders from the Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism stressed the need for the entire sector to effectively implement the 2025 Tourism Development Stimulus Programme, initiated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to achieve the goal of welcoming 22–23 million international arrivals this year. — VNS