Vietnamese tourism enters new era following roadmap for breakthrough growth
According to data released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam welcomed nearly 10.7 million international visitors in the first half of 2025, up 20.7% from the same period in 2024, achieving 48.6% of the full-year target of 22–23 million.
Vietnam’s tourism industry is entering a new era, backed by a strong roadmap aimed at propelling it to new heights. (Photo: VietnamPlus)
Hanoi (VNA) 🧜- Tourism activity nationwide continues to thrive, with sustained growth in domestic travel, significant increases in international arrivals, 🥃stable prices across accommodation and services, and with increased safety prevalent at tourist sites.
According to data released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam welcomed nearly 10.7 million international visitors in the first half of 2025, up 20.7% from the same period in 2024, achieving 48.6% of the full-year target of 22–23 million.
Domestic tourism reached 77.5 million arrivals (an 8.5% increase year-on-year), fulfilling 64.5% of the 2025 goal of 120–130 million.
Total tourism revenue is estimated at 518 trillion VND (nearly 19.8 million USD), meeting 52.8% of the annual target (980 trillion to 1.05 quadrillion VND).
Ho Chi Minh City led the nation with 22.19 million visitors, including approximately 3.85 million international arrivals, a 44% increase year-on-year, generating an estimated 117.94 trillion VND in revenue, up 27.3%. Other top-performing provinces included Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, and Kien Giang.
According to Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director General of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the first half of the year saw major advances in tourism promotion, with innovative approaches leveraging digital technology with culture, art, and cinema.
Efforts focused on key strategic markets including China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the US, Australia, Russia, and France, through a wide range of activities at cultural festivals, tourism events, and international travel fairs abroad.
The growing scale, frequency, and global reach of promotion campaigns demonstrate the sector’s proactive, creative spirit and commitment to innovation in both form and content, optimising public and private resources.
In parallel with on-the-ground campaigns, Vietnam ramped up digital marketing for premium tourism products such as golf, wellness tourism, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), achieving positive results.
Visitors on a journey to the heroic land of Dien Bien. (Photo: VietnamPlus)
With these encouraging mid-year results, Director General Khanh noted that to fuel a major leap forward, the tourism sector will focus on implementing a series of key tasks and solutions in the coming period.
These include advising on institutional reforms, developing breakthrough policies, and steering the sector toward deeper, higher-quality, professional, sustainable, and branded development. Efforts will center on building world-class tourism products in luxury resort travel, wellness, agro-tourism, eco-t✨ourism, adventure tourism, medical tourism, and culinary tourism, leveraging🧔 Vietnam’s unique potential and national competitive advantages, while preserving heritage and cultural identity.
Particular emphasis will be placed on enhancing high-end service quality to offer unique, memorable experiences. The sector will also diversity and professionalize tourism enterprises to integrate into global supply chains, and strengthen cross-sector linkages to boost Vietnam’s tourism competitiveness within a green and sustainable framework.
Pilgrims flock to pay homage to the Buddha's relics at Tam Chuc Pagoda. (Photo: VietnamPlus)
The sector aims to restructure tourism markets to align with Vietnam’s strengths and global trends, while adapting to international shifts. It will also accelerate public-private cooperation and mobilise both domestic and foreign investment to improve infrastructure and reduce logistics costs.
To support these objectives, Vietnam is set to develop robust tourism databases and digital platforms that connect information systems for policy planning, state management, and service delivery, for businesses and tourists alike, ensuring deeper integration into the global tourism ecosystem./.
The three-month contest aims to encourage content creators and travel lovers to showcase the beauty of the landscapes, people, and culture of Vietnam through short videos, to international audiences in an emotionally engaging and modern way.
Following the recent administrative restructuring that merged the city with the neighbouring provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau, HCM City now boasts 681 potential tourist sites. With a population of over 14 million, it has become Vietnam’s largest intra-provincial tourism market, both in scale and in diversity.
In the first half of 2025 alone, Hanoi welcomed over 15.55 million visitors, up nearly 12% year-on-year. Of these, 3.66 million were international arrivals, marking a strong increase of 21.8%.
A the 31st-generation descendant of King Ly Thai To, Ly Xuong Can was first appointed as Vietnam’s Tourism Ambassador to the RoK in 2017 and reappointed in 2021. In his role, he has spearheaded numerous cultural exchange and tourism promotion initiatives, including the establishment of the Vietnam tourism promotion office in the RoK and the development of a cashless payment project for Korean tourists visiting Vietnam.
The Quang Ninh Tourism Association underscored its commitment to delivering a complete and safe experience for visitors, affirming that Ha Long Bay and Quang Ninh as a whole remain safe destinations.
The "Plastic-Reducing Tourism" push, launched in Thuy Bieu ward and now expanded to iconic sites like Thanh Toan tile bridge, Ngu My Thạnh - Con Toc, and Chuon lagoon, is gaining traction. They are becoming go-to zones for community-based tourism, drawing visitors eager to immerse themselves in local traditions.
The Russian market’s strong rebound has not only revived tourism in Khanh Hoa but also contributed significantly to Vietnam’s overall tourism recovery. According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), Russia was the only international market to post a record growth rate of over 139% in the first half of 2025.
Situated at nearly 2,200 metres above the sea level, right on O Quy Ho Pass – one of Vietnam's "Four Great Passes", the glass bridge offers a panoramic view of Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range, Tam Duong Valley, and drifting white clouds.
Hoi An claimed the fifth spot on this year’s list, impressing international travellers with its distinctive blend of local and foreign architectural styles, a charming canal network, and the warming residents.
In response to Typhoon Wipha, the Van Don international airport in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh and the Cat Bi international airport in neighbouring Hai Phong city will be closed from 11 p.m. on July 21, to noon on July 22.
International visitors are especially fond of hands-on traditional craft experiences and OCOP products in Hoi An ancient town, now part of Da Nang, according to Le Doan Phuoc, a tour guide from a travel company in the central city.
The reappointment of Australian golf legend Gregory John Norman as Vietnam’s Tourism Ambassador for 2025-2030 is a strategic move to attract high-end international tourists, particularly from the US and Australia, boosting Vietnam’s reputation as a diverse tourism hub.
The trip was a valuable opportunity for the guests to explore the natural landscape and heritage value of the trans-provincial world natural heritage site, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago.
Looking ahead, experts predicted that 2025 will be AR’s breakout year, akin to the ubiquity of QR codes. With AI cooking up personalised trips and lightweight, user-friendly gadgets, Vietnam’s tourism industry is ready to explode.
According to booking data from Emirates — one of the world’s largest airlines, Vietnam is leading the list of the most popular destinations for the summer 2025 travel peak, thanks in part to the appeal of the new Dubai–Da Nang route.
Dubbed the “land of ancient towers”, Khanh Hoa boasts a rich Cham legacy through architectural masterpieces like the Po Nagar, Hoa Lai, Po Klong Garai, and Po Rome towers.
Phu Quoc surpassed Hoi An, a longtime top draw for international visitors, to get into the top five most-searched destinations in Vietnam during the first half of 2025.
Vietnam MICE EXPO 2025, the country’s largest event in the MICE sector, will be held on September 26 in Hanoi under the theme “Heritage & Technology in the New Era,” expecting over 800 businesses and 1,500 delegates.
The article describes Vietnam as a vibrant, atmospheric, and culturally rich nation. Citing the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), it notes that the number of Australians visiting Vietnam in the first quarter of 2025 surged by 54% compared to the same period in 2019, outpacing all other international destinations.
Unlike more developed destinations such as Sa Pa or Mu Cang Chai, Mien Doi remains untouched by mass tourism, appealing to those seeking a slower pace and authentic local experiences.
More importantly, how can Vietnam "redraw" its tourism map to fully leverage the expanded spaces and new development opportunities created by the recent administrative mergers?
From 2022 to 2024, Hanoi saw a strong annual growth rate of 28.3% in visitor numbers during the National Day holiday, with international visitors rising 62.5% annually. Tourism revenue grew by 31.6% per year, reinforcing Hanoi’s status as a vibrant, culturally rich, and safe destination.