This strong growth has prompted the Korea Tourism Organisation in Vietnam (KTO) to prepare a series of tourism promotion initiatives for the remainder of the year.

The KTO noted that 2024 marked a significant milestone in tourism cooperation between the two countries, as total two-way tourism reached over five million arrivals, demonstrating the strong recovery and great potential for bilateral tourism cooperation in the time ahead.

A particularly notable area of growth has been in MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions). In 2024, more than 54,000 MICE visitors from Vietnam travelled to the RoK, a 32% increase compared to the previous year. This surge placed Vietnam second only to the Philippines in Southeast Asia for MICE travel to Korea.

In the first half of 2025, KTO Vietnam rolled out several major tourism promotion campaigns. A key initiative involved collaboration with 20 leading Vietnamese travel companies to market the RoK’s spring and summer tourism experiences. These campaigns included promotional gifts and exclusive travel packages to attract more Vietnamese tourists.

The organisation also made a strong presence at domestic events such as the VITM 2025 International Tourism Fair in Hanoi, working closely alongside regional tourism agencies from Jeju, Busan, Suwon, and Gyeongsangbuk. In addition, the Korea Travel Mart 2025 gathered over 20 Korean tourism businesses and more than 100 Vietnamese partners, fostering deeper business linkages between the two countries.

Apart from traditional promotional activities, KTO launched the “Be the Kreator” programme, enlisting 20 young Vietnamese content creators currently living or studying in the RoK. These creators aim to present Korea through fresh, authentic, and engaging perspectives to their followers back home.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, KTO Vietnam plans to further elevate Korean tourism’s visibility through a variety of large-scale events. One of the most anticipated is the Korea Travel Festa 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City, which is expected to draw around 70,000 visitors. KTO will also participate in the ITE International Travel Fair and host the annual Korea Travel Award 2025 to recognise key Vietnamese partners’ efforts in strengthening long-term tourism cooperation.

KTO is also targeting Vietnamese tourists flying to destinations like the United States or Europe via the RoK, promoting stopover packages that take advantage of the country’s visa-free transit policy. These transit programmes include free city tours around Seoul and a range of paid experiences focusing on Korean food, culture, and shopping.

Park Eun Jung, chief representative of KTO Vietnam, emphasised the organisation’s commitment to supporting Vietnamese travel firms in developing unique, tailored tour packages. By offering both in-person and online promotional strategies, Park hoped to introduce more Vietnamese tourists to the authentic and diverse experiences the RoK has to offer.

The RoK is anticipated to welcome more than 500,000 visitors from Vietnam this year, making it one of the Southeast Asian markets with the highest number of visitors to the RoK.

Vietnamese tourists to RoK second highest in Southeast Asia

VOV.VN - Vietnam became a major tourism market for the Republic of Korea (RoK), with the number of Vietnamese holidaymakers visiting Korean destinations ranking second in Southeast Asia, according to the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) in Vietnam.