Việt Nam to join global tourism recovery trend this year: insiders

Foreign tourists explore the Old Quarter in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

HÀ NỘI The global tourism market is set to fully recover this year from the COVID-19 pandemic and experts predict Việt Nam’s tourism sector will follow suit.

According the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) first barometre of the year, there were an estimated 1.3 billion international travellers to Việt Nam in 2023, representing 88 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

It also reported that international tourism reached US$1.4 trillion in revenue in 2023, equivalent to 93 per cent of the figure of $1.5 trillion in 2019.

“The latest UNWTO data underscores tourism’s resilience and rapid recovery, with pre-pandemic numbers expected by the end of 2024,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

“The rebound is already having a significant impact on economies, jobs, growth and opportunities for communities everywhere.”

Việt Nam welcomed 12.6 million international arrivals last year, reaching 70 per cent of the 2019 pre-pandemic level.

World-leading indie travel news source Travel Off Path has listed Việt Nam as the safest country to visit in Asia in 2024, saying the country is both prosperous and peaceful, as it enjoys low rates of crime and impressive political stability.

Việt Nam is ideal for slow travellers and backpackers seeking to reconnect with nature and expose themselves to a culture that is almost entirely different from their own, especially for those coming from the Northern Hemisphere, it said.

Many Vietnamese places have made their names on prestigious voting sites, leaving good impressions on international tourists and friends.

However, experts said, limitations still remain, especially in making policies and long-term strategies whose efficiency requires many factors, including data sources to ensure accuracy and harmony in tourism statistics.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with the minitries of Planning and Investment, Public Security, and Information and Communications to launch a tourism business and administration platform in line with the Government’s Resolution No 82, which should be completed within the second quarter of this year.

Phùng Quang Thắng, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA), told Lao Động (Labour) newspaper that accurate statistics play a crucial role in coordinating tourism activities.

Accurate statistics are significant to policy making, especially in the context that the sector has been greatly impacted by economic-political uncertainties globally, he added. VNS