Foreign visitors spending more in Vietnam

Foreign visitors spending more in Vietnam

(VEN) – The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) recently issued the Vietnam Tourism Annual Report 2017, which shows increases in both the number of foreign visitors and their spending.

The number of foreign tourists to Vietnam in the first half of 2018 surged 27.2 percent year-on-year to 7.9 million

The biggest spenders were tourist from Australia, the US and Europe. Data show that spending by Australians was highest and averaged more than US$1,790 per capita per trip, followed by Americans with US$1,525, Europeans with US$1,295, and Asians with US$995. Visitor spending continued its upward trend in 2018.

In 2017, Vietnam welcomed 12.9 million foreign visitors, earning revenues of VND316 trillion – accounting for 58.4 percent of the country’s total tourism revenues. Total tourism revenues amounted to VND541 trillion, accounting for 7.9 percent of Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Asia was Vietnam’s biggest tourist market – accounting for 75 percent of revenues, followed by Europe (14.6 percent), the Americas (6.3 percent), Australia (3.3 percent), and Africa (0.3 percent). North East Asian countries were leading markets, with China the biggest at more than four million visitors, followed by the Republic of Korea (RoK) with 2.5 million visitors, and Japan with almost 800,000 visitors.

China, the RoK, Japan and Chinese Taipei accounted for 53.3 and 59.7 percent of Vietnam’s foreign visitors and foreign visitor revenues. The RoK alone represented 18.7 and 19.9 percent of Vietnam’s foreign visitors and foreign visitor revenues, while Malaysia and Thailand accounted for 37 and 2.3 percent, and 2.6 and 1.6 percent, respectively.

The number of foreign tourists to Vietnam in the first half of 2018 surged 27.2 percent year-on-year to 7.9 million, Nguyen Van Tuan, Head of VNAT, said. Total income from tourism was estimated at VND312 trillion (US$13.5 billion), an increase of 22.5 percent in comparison with the same period last year.

Tuan said that in 2017, VNAT conducted a survey on spending by foreign visitors to Vietnam, using General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO) verification and in accordance with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) methods. The survey also served tourism development research, he added. Tuan said the survey distributed 27,000 feedback forms to foreigners at 12 international border crossings nationwide, including four airports, four land border gates and four seaports. Results showed that up to 93.46 percent of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with their visit. Only 0.63 percent recorded any dissatisfaction.

The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam and related revenues in 2018 are expected to increase 22-24 and 16-18 percent over 2017 to about US$17 billion.

Hoa Quynh

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