VOV.VN - Vietnam welcomed over 4.6 million international visitors in the first quarter of this year, up 72% year on year and up 3.2% compared to the same period from 2019 before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

Foreign visitors make a tour of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO heritage site in Vietnam

The impressive growth is attributed to favourable visa policies, tourism stimulus programmes, as well as the relentless efforts of both the Government and tourism businesses.

Most notably, the number of international visitors in March skyrocketed by 78.6% year on year to hit nearly 1.6 million.

Of the total, foreign visitors arriving by air accounted for 83.6%, representing a rise of 60.1%.

Asia remained the largest Vietnamese tourist market with more than 3.52 million arrivals, accounting for 75.8%. The Republic of Korea topped the list with more than 1.23 million visitors, followed by China with nearly 890,000 visitors.

Tourism revenue during the reviewed period was estimated at VND14.1 trillion, representing an annual rise of 46.3%.

Da Nang earned the highest tourism revenue, up 69%; followed by Ho Chi Minh City, up 59%; Can Tho, up 57.7%; Hanoi, up 47.6%; Quang Ninh, up 18.5%; and Lam Dong, up 13.3%.