However, the figure still nosedived 87.3% compared to the pre-pandemic period in 2019, the General Statistics Office (GSO) said on August 29.

Of the international arrivals, 88.2% came to Vietnam by air, up 18.5 times, while 11.8% by road and 0.03% by sea.

Asian visitors made up the majority with nearly 997,000 arrivals, accounting for 69.18% of the total in the eight months. Notably, the number of Korean visitors surged 17.61-fold year on year to make this Northeast Asian country the biggest source of international arrivals in Vietnam.

The GSO noted in August alone, international arrivals have numbered 486,400, increasing 38% from July and 52.3-fold year on year.

The eight-month tourism revenue is estimated at VND15.4 trillion (US$657.4 million), 3.4 times as high as in the same period last year, as a result of strong tourism recovery, especially domestic tourism. But the takings are equivalent to just 47.7% of the figure in the same period of 2019.

Vietnam targets welcoming 5 million international arrivals in 2022.