Japan remains an appealing destination for Vietnamese holiday-makers as the country ranked 10th globally and 4th in Southeast Asia for the number of tourists visiting Japan last year.

In 2024, the number of Vietnamese visitors to Japan reached 621,100, a 8.2-percent increase from 2023, Matsumoto Fumi, chief representative of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) in Vietnam revealed at the Visit Japan Seminar 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday.

In January 2025 alone, Japan welcomed 50,400 travelers, marking a 13-percent year-on-year rise -- an encouraging sign of sustained growth, she added.

"I believe this success comes from the joint efforts of everyone promoting tourism between Vietnam and Japan,” the chief representative stated.

With this surge in arrivals, Vietnam ranked 10th globally and 4th in Southeast Asia for the number of visitors to Japan in 2024, Uchida Shusuke, deputy chief representative of JNTO Vietnam, added.

Vietnamese tourists ranked 13th in spending among international visitors to Japan in 2024, with total expenditures reaching ¥136.4 billion (US$923 million).

In 2025, the operation of the JNTO Vietnam office in Hanoi set the goals of promoting local tours and accommodations, attracting visitors to Expo 2025 in Japan, and boosting tourism to Japan during the off-season, Shusuke revealed.

Vietnam saw 711,464 Japanese visitors in 2024

On Vietnam’s side, Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, stated that in 2024, Vietnam welcomed 711,464 Japanese visitors, nearly half of whom (348,239) visited Ho Chi Minh City, making Japan one of the city's six-largest international tourist markets.

In her remarks, Hieu also emphasized the strong and growing relationship between Vietnam and Japan over the past 50 years.

This enduring partnership has paved the way for deeper tourism cooperation between the two nations, she said.

“Looking ahead to 2025, the launch of metro line No. 1 (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien), supported by the Japanese government and businesses, marks a major milestone in Ho Chi Minh City’s urban transport transformation and a significant step in the enduring partnership between Vietnam and Japan,” she said. 

“With improved inner-city transport and approximately 18 daily direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Japan operated by Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, All Nippon Airways, and Japan Airlines, both countries are well-positioned to further boost tourism.”

The tourism seminar was held as part of a series of activities to welcome the 10th Japan Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City, which is scheduled to take place at 23/9 Park in District 1 on Saturday and Sunday.

Themed 'Holding Hands Together – Towards the Future,' the festival features a diverse program, including cultural exchanges, trade promotion, culinary showcases, and tourism exhibitions, with the participation of approximately 150 booths.

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