Japan and South Korea are among the most favorite destinations for the Vietnamese as more local tourists will opt for these two northeast Asian nations when it comes to traveling abroad.

A customer asks for information about tours to South Korea at a travel firm in HCMC

Vietnam has become a key source market for these two countries.

Data of the Korean Tourism Organization (KTO) in Vietnam shows over 118,000 Vietnamese visited Korea in the first four months of this year, a 33.5% year-on-year rise. Vietnam now tops the list of Korea’s highest growing tourism markets.

Last year, Korea attracted more than 323,000 visitors from Vietnam, up 28.8% compared to 2016. In quarter one of 2018, Japan saw a year-on-year pickup of 16.3% in Vietnamese arrivals with 86,300, according to data of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).

Last year saw 308,900 Vietnamese tourists coming to Japan, up 32% against 2016. Up to 39% of them came there for leisure travel, the highest in South Asia.

Relaxed visa requirements and better tour prices have made Japan and South Korea more appealing to Vietnamese travelers.

Nguyen Thu Ha, director of public relations at the representative office of KTO in Vietnam, said a six-day tour to Korea would cost a little higher than VND15 million if guests choose to fly with Vietnam Airlines or VND12 million if budget-conscious travelers fly with a low-cost airline, way below the VND19-20 million range five years ago.

“South Korea is looking to welcome some 400,000 Vietnamese tourists this year given a surprise surge last year,” she said, adding the actual number might be higher.

SGT