According to Travel Daily Media, Vietnam’s tourism industry reached a major milestone last year, exceeding 10 million international visitor arrivals for the first time in history. This is hardly a surprise, as Vietnam has much to offer tourists all year-round, from temperate weather and an array of cultural festivals in the winter and spring to fantastic sea- and leisure-focused travel opportunities in the summer.

The 10 million visitors reported in 2016 marked a 26.9 per cent increase from the 7.9 million in 2015. Of the total, 8.26 million travellers arrived by air, marking another significant increase of 31.7 per cent from last year.

A significant rise in Chinese and Korean visitors largely impacted these numbers. Chinese travel to Vietnam increased 51 per cent and visitor numbers from South Korea jumped 38.7 per cent. These two countries accounted for 42 per cent of all international visitors to Vietnam in 2016.

Visitor arrivals to Vietnam increased 46 per cent over the past five years, and are expected to continue in the coming years as Vietnam prepares to launch its new e-visa system for international travellers in February.

During the recent ASEAN Tourism Forum in Singapore, Vietnam introduced information about its tourism strategies in the northwest, including a tourism cooperation agreement between Vietnam and Thailand for 2017–2018, under which both countries will increase information exchanges, partner in marketing initiatives and increase business facilitation.