This report was first published in September 2022 and describes the first eight months of that year. The figures are kept as a record of the recovery; for the latest arrival statistics, see the General Statistics Office of Vietnam or the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.
In the first 8 months of 2022, the number from statistics on the number of tourists to Vietnam reached 1.44 million. Although 13.7 times higher than the same period last year, the number still decreased by 87.3% compared to the same period in 2019, when there was no Covid epidemic. At the time, the tourism industry expected arrivals to keep rising quickly until the end of 2022 as more flights resumed.
Particularly in August, Korea is the country with the most visitors to Vietnam, with more than 173,000 arrivals, accounting for 35.7% of total visitors to Vietnam. Ranked second is the US with more than 139,000 arrivals, an increase of 59.5 times over the same period last year, and ranked third is Cambodia with 82,000 arrivals, an increase of 260 times over the same period in 2021. In addition, Southeast Asian countries are in the top 10 with the most visitors to Vietnam in the first 8 months of the year, including Thailand and Malaysia.
According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the current short-term goal is that the tourism industry needs to well and thoroughly exploit the opened markets, connect airlines and allow people to travel abroad. Focusing on markets such as Korea, Australia, Japan, and Western Europe, flexibly exploiting new markets such as India, USA, European countries.
Thanks to actively promoting the development of the tourism market, the statistics have increased many times over the previous year. Moreover, the whole industry focuses on promoting key markets and current travel trends to diversify and balance and stabilize among other international markets.
Background: Vietnam reopens to international tourism
After almost two years of closed borders during the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam reopened to international tourists without quarantine on 15 March 2022. Recovery was gradual: international flights had to be restored route by route, some major source markets were still closed to outbound travel, and many hotels, restaurants and tour companies needed time to rehire staff. That is why the 2022 figures were many times higher than in 2021 but still far below the 2019 level.
The figures in this report show which markets came back first. South Korea and the United States were the largest markets in August 2022, while neighbours such as Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia were also among the first to return.
What has changed for travellers since then
Several changes since then make Vietnam easier to visit. Since 15 August 2023, travellers of all nationalities can apply for an e-visa valid for up to 90 days, with single or multiple entry. Apply only on the official portal, evisa.gov.vn. Citizens of the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Russia and Belarus can visit without a visa for up to 45 days, and from 15 August 2025 to 14 August 2028 this also applies to Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. Your passport should be valid for at least six months. Other nationalities should check the current rules on evisa.gov.vn.
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Since 1 July 2025, Vietnam has also reorganised its local government: districts were abolished and the number of provinces was reduced from 63 to 34. Famous destinations such as Hoi An, Sapa and Ha Giang keep their names, but you may see new ward or province names in map apps and on hotel addresses.
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