Opportunities to attract Chinese tourists

In the context that many Chinese airlines allow passengers to cancel or change flights to Japan due to diplomatic tensions, Vietnam has a great opportunity to become the number 1 destination of this giant passenger market.

Chinese tourists change direction

Last week, Air China, China Eastern and China Southern Airlines simultaneously "opened the door" for passengers to cancel or change destinations for flights to Japan until December 31. The international tourism market, especially in Asia, is expected to fluctuate strongly, because Chinese tourists are not only large in number but also strong in spending. For example, in 2024, Chinese tourists will spend up to 1,700 billion yen (11.2 billion USD) traveling to Japan. Therefore, the market that sends these tourists sneezes, and many countries "runny nose". In the current context, according to experts, Vietnam can "fill in this gap" thanks to a series of advantages.

International tourists, including many Chinese tourists, visit and shop at the Ho Chi Minh City Central Post Office .

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour, commented that the possibility of Chinese tourists shifting to Vietnam is "very real and increasingly obvious". The Chinese market is entering a restructuring phase, instead of just choosing Japan or Korea, tourists tend to look for nearby destinations, reasonable costs and shorter schedules. Vietnam has emerged as a suitable choice thanks to its close location, competitive costs and growing tourism brand.

"In fact, many Chinese tourists have proactively sent requests to find alternative tours to Vietnam, especially from previously less accessible markets such as Chengdu and Wuhan. In addition to policy factors, tour prices and expensive living costs in Japan also make them consider. Vietnam is clearly in their sights as an alternative or additional option," Ms. Thu emphasized.

In the retail segment, the number of deposits for 4-5 day tours from Hanoi to Ha Long increased by about 30% compared to the previous quarter. "This is no longer a forecast but has become a real effect. We are closely monitoring to adjust the product to suit the mid- to high-end segment," Ms. Thu added.

Sharing the same perspective, Mr. Nguyen Minh Man, Deputy General Director of VinaGroup Tourism Company, analyzed that the tourism industry is always sensitive to external fluctuations, so the possibility of Chinese tourists shifting to Vietnam is very high. On the one hand, Vietnam is a close, convenient, affordable and increasingly attractive destination for Chinese tourists. On the other hand, policy factors and market fluctuations in Japan make the shift of tourist flows more likely.

According to Mr. Man, the most important thing right now is the preparation capacity of the service system and domestic travel businesses. We need to measure, adjust and improve product quality to closely meet demand when the flow of visitors increases. In fact, the number of international visitors to Vietnam in 2025 will continue to increase as predicted after the pandemic. This growth comes from the increasingly better capacity of businesses in meeting tourist needs and capturing global tourism trends. Regarding aviation, the number of charter flights from China is not as high as before the pandemic, but the trend will increase in the coming time, especially when infrastructure and policies are improved synchronously.

"The current prominent trend is cultural and historical experience tourism, combined with relaxation and shopping. These are all strong product groups of Vietnam, suitable for the tastes of Chinese tourists, from heritage cities to rapidly developing beach resorts. In that context, increasing the frequency of direct or charter flights will take place based on actual demand. Domestic and international airlines will play an important role in expanding the market. Updating data, forecasting trends and continuously adjusting plans is not only the job of businesses but also a key requirement for the entire tourism industry if they want to effectively exploit this opportunity," said Mr. Man.

According to Agoda data, in July and August 2025 alone, the number of searches for Vietnam destinations from Chinese tourists also increased by nearly 90%, of which Hanoi increased by 89% compared to the same period last year.

Tourism experts agree that Vietnam has a great opportunity to attract Chinese tourists, but the important thing is to know how to take advantage of the opportunity, especially when countries in the region are accelerating their competition for this billion-people market.

Competition to "fill the gap"

In fact, Chinese tourists always receive special attention from countries. For example, in Singapore, after the bilateral visa exemption agreement from February 2024, the number of Chinese tourists has recovered strongly. This country also promoted on Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Ctrip... targeting high-spending tourists. Similarly, Thailand is trying to stimulate demand because in the first 9 months of 2025, the country only welcomed about 3.23 million Chinese tourists, a recovery rate lower than expected. At some points in 2025, the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand decreased by 33% compared to before the pandemic.

Chinese tourists create golden opportunities for Vietnamese tourism

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

For Vietnam, the latest data from the General Statistics Office shows that Chinese tourists have increased sharply, becoming one of the prominent growth drivers of Vietnam tourism in October 2025. In October alone, the number of Chinese visitors to Vietnam increased by about 20% compared to September, contributing significantly to the total of 1.73 million international visitors that Vietnam has welcomed. In the past 10 months, Vietnam has welcomed more than 17.1 million international visitors, of which China continues to hold the leading position. Travel agencies reported that, in addition to the traditional group of visitors from Guangzhou, Shenzhen or Shanghai, this year there has been a clear expansion from second- and third-tier cities such as Chengdu, Wuhan, Chongqing, etc., markets with high demand for short-term, affordable itineraries.

Japanese market stagnates, Chinese tourists flock to Vietnam

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

More importantly, this trend will increase in the last months of the year thanks to the advantage of warm winter climate, convenient flight routes and many resort and shopping options suitable to Chinese tourists' tastes. Some businesses also recorded a 20-30% increase in Hanoi - Ha Long - Ninh Binh tours and beach resort packages in Nha Trang, Da Nang, Phu Quoc.

In the context that Chinese airlines are allowing passengers to cancel or change flights to Japan, Vietnam is considered a potential "alternative destination" thanks to its accessible costs and high safety. This is considered a golden time for Vietnam to promote, optimize products and increase air connectivity to fully capture opportunities from the world's largest passenger market.

Vietnam should promote on Chinese digital ecosystems such as Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Ctrip, and cooperate with KOLs to spread the image of friendly, safe, and easy-to-experience destinations. In addition, it should open more direct flights and charter flights from the cities of Changsha, Wuhan, Chengdu, etc. to reduce travel time and optimize costs; at the same time, it is necessary to diversify products and exploit new destinations to avoid overloading traditional areas.

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/co-hoi-thu-hut-khach-du-lich-trung-quoc-185251119182312535.htm