In the first 11 months of 2023, more than 7.3 million tourists from the Republic of Korea (RoK) visited Vietnam, an increase of 220% compared to the same period last year, VNA citied the RoK’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Destinations including Phu Quoc, Da Lat, and Nha Trang are favored by Korean travelers thanks to reasonable costs and diverse tourism activities.

Korean tourists check in to Fansipan peak. Photo: VNS

According to the ministry, during the period, more than 1 million Korean people traveled from Incheon to Nha Trang – Vietnam’s coastal resort city. In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, Nha Trang city attracted more than 735,400 Korean visitors.

Meanwhile, the number of Korean visitors to Phu Quoc Island - which is considered "Vietnam's Jeju island", also increased sharply.

In the first 11 months of this year, nearly 300,000 Koreans traveled on the Incheon-Phu Quoc route and more than 61,000 others on the Incheon-Da Lat route.

Korean and Vietnamese airlines also quickly expanded flight networks to meet the demand for travel to emerging destinations in Vietnam.

On December 24, the RoK's Jin Air launched its Phu Quoc-Incheon flights. Earlier this month, Vietnamese budget airline VietJet Air launched a new route from Busan to Phu Quoc island.

Low-cost airline Jeju Air has also opened Icheon-Da Lat flights from December 20 with a frequency of seven flights per week, becoming the first RoK domestic airline operating regular flights to the famous resort city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

Yong Sung Ok, regional manager - Southeast Asia at Hanatour, one of the leading travel companies in the RoK, told VNS, “Vietnam is recently the most searched-for and popular destination among Korean tourists. Close geographical proximity, the availability of various flights, and relatively affordable airfare prices all contribute to this popularity.”

Additionally, numerous attractive destinations with a wide range of experiences are also an appeal for them.

Da Nang is considered by the RoK's tourists as the “most worth living” city in Vietnam in addition to an ideal destination that is easy to reach with reasonable prices, stunning beaches, and an extensive range of culinary experiences and numerous options of luxurious beachside resorts.

Yong said Da Nang is the most favored by Korean tourists because it offers a perfect blend of sightseeing and entertainment.

A culture exchange to promote tourism between Da Nang an the RoK. Photo: VNA

The Yonhap News recently commented that Phu Quoc is still a lesser-known paradise compared to Da Nang or Ha Long. According to its survey, there is a gradual increase in the number of Korean tourists to Phu Quoc thanks to word-of-mouth effects, and it is considered "wise to visit Phu Quoc at this time, before it becomes too famous."

Apart from alluring coastal cities such as Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, RoK's tourists have also begun to choose highland destinations in Vietnam, especially Sa Pa, because of the availability of the cable car to the peak of Fansipan, similar to Ba Na Hills.

One of the reasons is the high number of check-ins on Instagram at this location. Korean tourists are "overwhelmed" by the cable car route that passes over the spectacular terraced fields characteristic of the northwestern region of Vietnam or by riding the red mountain railway train through the picturesque Muong Hoa valley, reminiscent of Switzerland.

Besides, conquering the height of Fansipan is also one of those reasons that make Koreans fascinated.

According to Lee Jae Hoon, Korean Tourism Organization (KTO) Chief Representative, around 3.6 million Koreans will visit Vietnam in 2023, making it the largest source of foreign tourists in Vietnam.

Vietnam has been a top priority market of the RoK thanks to the close relations across politics, economy, culture, and tourism, he said.

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