International tourists visiting the Trang An Complex in the northern province of Ninh Bình. — VNA/VNS
HANOI: Vietnam welcomed over 12.7 million international arrivals in the first nine months of 2024, an increase of 43 percent year on year, the General Statistics Office has announced.
During the period, foreign arrivals to Vietnam by air reached nearly 10.8 million, accounting for 84.9 per cent of the total, followed by road with roughly 1.8 million (13.8 per cent) and sea routes with nearly 165,700 (3 per cent).
Most of the arrivals were from Asia with over 10.12 million, surging 47.7 per cent year on year, according to the report.
In September alone, there were 1.27 million international visitors to Vietnam, said the office.
This marks a slight decline from August, which saw 1.43 million arrivals.
Despite the decrease in visitor numbers in September, the tourism industry is determined to meet the goal of attracting 17-18 million international visitors this year, as the last three months are the peak season for international arrivals in Vietnam, Vietnam News reported Monday.
The newspaper cited Nguyen Le Phuc, deputy director of the National Tourism Administration of Vietnam, as saying that the goal of welcoming 18 million international visitors this year was achievable. - Xinhua
