Vietnam Tourism's change in the target of welcoming international visitors in 2023 from 8 million to 12.5 to 1...
Vietnam Tourism's change in the target of welcoming international visitors in 2023 from 8 million to 12.5 to 13 million visitors is considered appropriate to the current situation and will contribute to further recovery and development of tourism.
The three quarters have exceeded the annual target
According to data from the General Statistics Office, in the first 9 months of 2023, the total number of international visitors to Vietnam reached about 8.9 million, a 4.7-fold increase compared to the same period in 2022. In September 2023 alone, over 1 million international visitors were welcomed, marking the 3rd consecutive month in which Vietnam tourism received over 1 million international visitors.
Thus, after only the first 3 quarters of the year, the tourism industry has exceeded the target of welcoming 8 million international visitors for the whole year 2023...
After 9 months, the tourism industry has exceeded the target of welcoming 8 million international visitors for the whole year 2023...
According to Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet, this result is thanks to the positive changes in the global, as well as regional tourism trend, especially due to the Government’s new, open, and flexible policies.
In particular, the removal of barriers to immigration for international visitors, as well as the Government's issuance of Resolution 82 on the main tasks and solutions to accelerate efficient and sustainable recovery and development of tourism has created a push for positive transformation in tourism.
Deputy Minister Doan Van Viet said that based on calculations, in the remaining months of 2023, each month Vietnamese tourism can welcome at least 1.1 to 1.2 million international visitors, especially in the peak season in December potentially attracting even more visitors. On that basis, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has calculated and will report to the Government to raise the target of international tourist arrivals in 2013 from 8 million to 12.5 to 13 million visitors (an increase of about 156% compared to the original target).
It is worth noting that calculating the target for international tourist arrivals requires consideration of many factors. Therefore, even a slight change in any of these factors can result in forecast deviations. Fortunately, this "error" has gone in a positive direction, meaning we have exceeded the target.
In fact, it often happens that countries adjust their targets for international visitor arrivals to align with actual conditions. In early 2023, Thailand increased its target of welcoming international visitors from 10 million to 30 million when seeing favorable conditions. Indonesia also made similar adjustments when they realized that the forecast data at the beginning of the year was no longer consistent with the actual situation. Therefore, Vietnam's adjustment of the target for international visitor arrivals in 2023 is appropriate to the actual situation and will contribute to further recovery and development of tourism.
Create motivation for tourism to develop
Mr. Pham Hai Quynh, Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute (ATI) and Chairman of the Vietnam Community Tourism Association (VCTC) stated that early achievement of Vietnam in reaching the goal of welcoming 8 million international visitors in just 9 months is a very encouraging sign, especially considering that the peak season for international tourism has not yet begun.
According to Mr. Pham Hai Quynh, the Tourism Industry set the target of 8 million visitors at the beginning of the year as a milestone for recovery. However, thanks to very favorable visa policies, as well as measures to remove difficulties in tourism, along with the general recovery of world tourism, Vietnamese tourism has soon accomplished this goal and has the foundation for further development.
Not only in Vietnam but in many countries around the world, after achieving the immediate recovery goal, countries will set new targets to create motivation and drive tourism development like before the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries all have clear development directions and cannot be satisfied or "go to sleep" with initial achievements.
Mr. Pham Hai Quynh, Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute, Chairman of the Vietnam Community Tourism Association - Photo: Chi Cuong
The Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute commented that raising the target of international visitor arrivals in 2023 from 8 million to 12.5 million to 13 million visitors for Vietnamese tourism today is very appropriate. This policy will create motivation for tourism enterprises to further strengthen their efforts in attracting international visitors.
"Tourism businesses are eager to expand the welcome of visitors, especially international visitors. Most businesses are always ready to implement plans to attract visitors and with new policies, more flexibility on visas, and the additional motivation, it is expected that tourism enterprises will continue to expand further into new markets to attract more visitors," Mr. Pham Hai Quynh emphasized.
With the Tourism Industry entering the peak season of international tourism in the last months of the year and taking advantage of the opportunities from the new visa exemption and e-visa policy effective from August 15, 2023, Vietnam's tourism sector still has a lot of room to attract more international visitors in the near future.
Also according to Mr. Pham Hai Quynh, in order to achieve and surpass the newly set goals, in addition to the ongoing tasks, the tourism industry needs to pay more attention to communication and promotion of new policies to create a desired impact, enabling better access to target markets and attracting more international tourists.
According to To Quoc Newspaper