South Korean visitors to rise to 3.3 million

HCM CITY — The number of South Korean tourists to Việt Nam is expected to rise by 30 per cent this year to reach more than 3.3 million, the second largest tourist market in the country behind China, according to the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism.

In the first 11 months of this year, the country welcomed 3.16 million South Korean visitors, up 46.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.

During the period, a total of 427,000 Vietnamese visitors visited South Korea, an increase of 42 per cent year-on-year, according to the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) in Việt Nam.

The South Korean government’s new visa policy, which began on December 3 for Vietnamese residents living in Hà Nội, HCM City and Đà Nẵng, will offer multiple-entry visas which will be valid for up to five years.

The new visa programme is expected to increase the number of Vietnamese tourists to South Korea, according to KTO.

KTO has tied up with 16 local travel firms and launched various promotions and 95 new tourism products to attract Vietnamese tourists to South Korea.

KTO supported more than 60,000 MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourists travelling from Việt Nam to South Korea this year.

The number of Vietnamese tourist arrivals to South Korea is expected to reach 450,000 this year, up 40 percent year-on-year, according to KTO. — VNS