HCMC – Vietnam has emerged as the leading Southeast Asian source of tourists for South Korea, with 350,000 Vietnamese coming to the Northeast Asian country in the year to date.
Lee Jae Hoon, chief representative of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in Vietnam, shared this information at the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement between the Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA) and KTO held in Hanoi on September 28.
The cooperation aims to foster exchanges between the two countries, enhance tourism management, and facilitate the sharing of tourist information and policy updates.
According to Lee, the number of Vietnamese visitors to South Korea is expected to reach 420,000, equivalent to 85% of the 2019 figures. Currently, Vietnam is among South Korea’s biggest source markets for tourism.
Meanwhile, data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism showed that South Korea is Vietnam’s largest tourism source market, with over 2.27 million South Korean arrivals in the country reported in January-August.
The central coastal city of Danang has become the most favorite destination for South Korean tourists due to its numerous direct flights and suitability for family vacations and young travelers, said the KTO chief representative.
Meanwhile, Hanoi and HCMC are destinations preferred by South Korean tourists for business trips and golf outings.
South Korean tourists have also shown growing interest in other destinations such as Nha Trang, Dalat and Phu Quoc.
Vu The Binh, chairman of VITA, emphasized the significance of attracting South Korean tourists, as Korean arrivals in Vietnam have grown since Vietnam’s reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic.
