Vietnam hopes to welcome 17-18 million tourist arrivals this year and reach its pre-pandemic record of 2019

Visitors flock to a market space in Phu Quoc island, the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang. - Vietnam News/ANN

HANOI (Vietnam News/ANN): Vietnam's tourism industry has set a target to welcome 17-18 million foreign visitors in 2024, approaching the pre-pandemic record in 2019 when Covid-19 had yet to disrupt global travel.

In 2023, the figure hit 12.6 million, surpassing the initial target by 57% and achieving the adjusted goal of 12-13 million. The number of domestic travelers, meanwhile, stood at 108 million, up 6% compared to the set target. Tourism activities generated about 678 trillion VND (27.85 billion USD) in revenue, 4.3% higher than the yearly plan.