Vietnam Tourism Surges, Outperforms Indonesia and Displaces Major Countries Worldwide.

Vietnam's performance has stunned the global tourism scene. Throughout 2024, the country recorded a 38.64 percent surge in international tourist arrivals. This figure far surpassed Indonesia, which only grew by 19.6 percent during the same period.

Thanks to this performance, Vietnam officially ranks fourth worldwide as the fastest-growing tourist destination. 
Quoted from Vietnam Express, first place is held by South Korea with a 48.82 percent increase, followed by Japan at 47.09 percent and Chile at 40.42 percent.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) assessed this growth reflects increasing global interest in Vietnam's cultural beauty, natural landscapes, and distinctive cuisine.

Southeast Asia Heats Up, But Vietnam Leads the Pack

Vietnam's tourism growth even outpaced its Southeast Asian neighbors

- Thailand: 26.27 percent (ranked 12th)

- Laos: 25.29 percent (ranked 13th)

- Malaysia: 24.20 percent (ranked 15th)

- Cambodia: 22.87 percent (ranked 16th)

- Singapore: 21.22 percent (ranked 20th)

El Salvador Emerges as Another Surprise

Asia isn't the only region grabbing global tourism attention. El Salvador, a small Central American country, ranks 9th worldwide. 

During 2024, it's projected to receive 3.2 million international tourists, including 1.2 million visitors from the United States. This marks an 80 percent increase compared to 2019.

According to The Telegraph's report, this success stems from public security policies under President Nayib Bukele. 

The nation's homicide rate plummeted from 106.3 per 100,000 people a decade ago to just 1.9 per 100,000 currently.

Not All Countries Have Recovered

Although many nations are rebounding post-pandemic, UNWTO notes several destinations still lag behind 2019 levels. This indicates global tourism recovery remains uneven.

- Philippines (down 34.2%)

- Peru (down 25.5%)

- Hungary (down 22.3%)

- South Africa (down 12.8%)

- Australia (down 12.6%)

- Italy (down 10.5%)

- Canada (down 10%)

Who Rules Global Tourism?

Throughout 2024, France remains the world's tourism king with 102 million international visitors, followed by Spain (93.7 million), the United States (72.3 million), China, Turkey, Italy, Mexico, Germany, UK, and Japan. 

In Southeast Asia, Thailand holds 12th place (35.5 million tourists), Malaysia ranks 17th (25 million), and Vietnam places 24th (17.4 million).

The World's Least-Visited Country

Conversely, some nations report nearly negligible tourist numbers. Tuvalu recorded the fewest tourists among 195 countries reporting data to UNWTO since 2022.

Total visitors in 2022 stood at just 200 people—equivalent to one commercial flight.

With such explosive growth, Vietnam is clearly rising in global tourism. The challenge now: Can other countries, including Indonesia, bridge the gap?