Tourists returning to Vietnam spur its economy

Article Excerpt

Tourism has become one of the major segments of Vietnam’s economy in recent years, but the industry was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the country’s tourism sector continues to recover following the reopening of its border to international tourists in March 2022. The growth in the Vietnamese tourism industry has been impressive. From 2009 to 2019, international tourist numbers increased almost 400%, while spending increased by 300% to $12 billion. In 2019, the country was ranked the 7th fastest-growing tourist destination in the world. In 2019, the country received 18 million international tourists. That placed it among the 35 most popular global tourism destinations. In that year, tourism contributed directly and indirectly almost 10% of Vietnam’s GDP; an estimated 2.5 million people were working in tourism-related business. During the peak COVID period, international tourists stayed away, but they are now returning in large numbers. In 2023 the country received 12.6 million visitors, and there’s a good chance that the 2019 peak will…