Diverse products, welcome customers in all seasons
In early November, Sa Pa (Lao Cai province) was covered in fog. The rain was sometimes drizzling, sometimes pouring down, making the weather both cold and uncomfortable. Even though it wasn't raining, hair was always wet, shoes and clothes were dirty because of the mud splashing up. However, the influence of the cold air could not stop the footsteps of travel enthusiasts. From the old town center to the top of Fansipan, tourists were still crowded and bustling, mostly international visitors. Hoang Lam, an employee of a hotel in the center of Sa Pa, said that this year it rained more than usual, there were days when it rained heavily from morning to night. The cold air also came earlier. The weather was not very supportive of mountain and forest exploration tours, but hotels in Sa Pa were almost always fully booked. The room booking rate was always over 70%, mainly from India, Korea and Southeast Asia.
Floodwaters have just receded, international tourists come to visit Hoi An ancient town ( Da Nang ), November 1
PHOTO: NGOC THOM
Not only Sa Pa, many tourist capitals across the country have recorded a sharp increase in the number of international visitors even in the midst of the storm. According to newly released data from the General Statistics Office, in October, international visitors to Vietnam reached 1.73 million, an increase of 13.8% compared to the previous month and up to 22.1% compared to the same period in 2024. This is the highest number of international visitors to Vietnam in 1 month ever. In the 10 months of 2025, international visitors to our country reached nearly 17.2 million, an increase of 21.5% compared to the same period in 2024.
Looking at the structure of international visitors to Vietnam in October, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietravel Corporation Nguyen Quoc Ky commented: The pillar of growth continues to be the strong return of traditional tourist markets such as China, Russia and the acceleration of the Indian market. In terms of absolute numbers, China is still the leading market with more than 433,000 visitors to Vietnam last month, accounting for about 25% of the total number of visitors.
According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky, Vietnam has many advantages to "gain the upper hand" with this tourist market. Firstly, because the Chinese government is increasingly focusing on stimulating people's consumption, their vacation time is longer. The Chinese currently have 3 peak holidays in the year including Lunar New Year, International Labor Day and National Day (October 1). In between, there is also summer, and the Chinese like Vietnam's beaches much more than their own. Therefore, Chinese tourists to Vietnam are distributed throughout the year and last October was one of the long vacation periods that allowed them to travel to Vietnam in large numbers.
International tourists on the "roof of Indochina" Fansipan in the middle of a foggy day, early November 2025
PHOTO: LE NAM
The second favorable factor is that the political situation in Thailand is not stable, the Chinese government does not encourage people to travel to Thailand, so the flow of tourists to Vietnam. In addition, there are a series of promotional programs of the National Tourism Administration as well as Vietnamese tourism businesses; the resumption of flights by airlines, both regular and charter; land border gates and the only train tourist route have all reopened; cross-border payments have also opened more and more conveniently...
Similarly, the Indian market is also growing strongly thanks to the increasingly frequent direct flights and innovative market promotion activities such as film diplomacy. Meanwhile, Korean tourists still like to travel to Vietnam but are shifting their destinations. Phu Quoc and Quy Nhon will be "hot" destinations for Korean tourists in the near future.
"In general, China, India and South Korea will continue to play a leading role in the inbound market from now until the end of the year and into 2026. These customer streams have diverse tastes, while we have a rich product system, from cold to temperate and tropical climates. Traveling from North to South, at any time, customers can enjoy unique and attractive experiences. This region still has room to create buffer products, so Vietnam can attract customers in any season when there is a storm in Hoi An. When customers cannot go anywhere, Vietravel organizes a boat rowing tour in the old town. Customers are still fascinated as usual. That is the reason why despite the storm, many customers still come to us and Vietnam still maintains its advantage in attracting customers," said Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky.
From the perspective of aviation - the force that plays a key role in connecting and promoting international tourist flows - a representative of Vietnam Airlines assessed: In the first 10 months of 2025, Vietnam's international tourism market continued to grow positively. The total number of international visitors by air increased by about 13.4% over the same period last year, showing that Vietnam's attractiveness is increasingly consolidated on the regional tourism map. The markets of Europe, India, China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia all recorded strong growth, with many routes achieving an average seat utilization rate of nearly 82%. Notably, last October, international visitors on Vietnam Airlines flights increased by more than 26% over the same period in 2024, marking the month with the highest growth rate since the beginning of the year.
This result reflects the growing appeal of Vietnam as a destination and the confidence of international tourists in the service quality and operational capacity of Vietnam’s aviation industry. Despite being affected by floods in many areas, the number of international visitors to our country still maintained a strong growth momentum.
"Many passengers have planned their trips early, are willing to adjust their schedules instead of canceling their flights, showing their love and trust in a safe, friendly destination that is capable of providing stable services even in unfavorable weather conditions. The close coordination between the aviation, tourism and local industries in service, information and flexible response has helped tourists always have a complete journey, contributing to affirming the image of Vietnamese tourism as increasingly professional and sustainable," said a representative of Vietnam Airlines.
Creating momentum for growth next year
In 2025, Vietnam's tourism industry aims to welcome 22-23 million international visitors. In August, the Government issued Resolution No. 226 on growth targets for industries, sectors, and localities, and key tasks and solutions to ensure the country's growth in 2025 reaches 8.3-8.5%. In particular, the Government assigned the target of striving to reach at least 25 million international visitors for the whole year to contribute to the overall economic growth target. Although the number of visitors has continuously set records in recent months, experts say the target of 25 million visitors is difficult to achieve.
International visitors at the special national relic Ponagar Tower (Northern Nha Trang Ward, Khanh Hoa), November 10
PHOTO: BA DUY
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky forecasts that, in the most optimistic conditions, Vietnam can welcome about 23.5 million international visitors this year. Objective factors are that November is the beginning of the peak season for inbound visitors, and the weather is expected to stabilize after the biggest storms of the year. The Northeast Asian market will continue to increase strongly, along with the influx of European visitors during the holiday season. However, due to the relatively late application of the open visa policy, it has not yet had time to fully exert its effect this year. In the coming period, if there are quickly special preferential policies on visas, air tickets, cross-border payment issues or tax-free systems, and stronger promotion programs, tourism can accelerate in the last two months of the year, welcoming more than 23.5 million visitors. This will be the premise for tourism to have strong development momentum next year.
Mr. Pham Ha, Chairman and CEO of LuxGroup, also said that despite many efforts, Vietnam will find it difficult to reach 25 million international visitors this year. He calculated that the number will be between 21 and 23 million visitors. The reason is that the policies of opening visas, increasing promotion, advertising, and investing in product innovation that have just been implemented are not permeable enough to create a breakthrough. Besides, the changes are still general, not really drastic. For example, the visa policy is open but in a "drip" manner, every few months it is loosened a little, and the extension period is not long. The process of restructuring products or promoting and advertising still mainly depends on businesses, the role of industry management agencies is not profound, so it has not created a strong change that can change things. Meanwhile, competitors like Thailand, when changing their image, do it very quickly, very strongly, and synchronize many solutions, so the results will also be clearer and faster.
Foreign tourists visit the War Remnants Museum (Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), November 10
PHOTO: NHAT THINH
"In fact, there is a more important issue than the number of 23 million or 25 million arrivals, which is quality. How much visitors spend, whether it permeates the local economy or not, whether visitors come back or not, those are the things that need the most attention. To do this, we need a long-term strategy with a plan of 5 years or more, with specific goals. In which, we need to identify each strength, develop an action plan and resolutely remove the inherent bottlenecks of the industry. From mechanisms to infrastructure, products, promotion..., the change must be faster, stronger, and measurable by each policy. By then, we will not need to worry about chasing each milestone of tens of millions of visitors like now, but tourism will naturally develop strongly and sustainably in both quantity and quality," Mr. Pham Ha suggested.
Long-term planning to adapt to climate change
Although it has not suffered too heavy losses and can flexibly change its program, it cannot be denied that the increasingly unusual developments from nature are negatively affecting the Vietnamese tourism industry. Typically, the Hue - Hoi An - Da Nang route, the "backbone" of tourism in the Central region, has had to temporarily suspend operations after consecutive periods of prolonged rain and floods because it cannot ensure a safe route for tourists. Even though it can change its program, the tourists' experience is not complete, and travel agencies also have to work hard to handle unexpected situations and risks.
According to Mr. Pham Ha, the tourism industry needs to develop a comprehensive strategy to adapt to climate change. Businesses need to proactively develop scenarios to respond in case of complicated weather developments such as changing schedules to avoid rainy and stormy days, changing destinations, instead of traveling by road, switching to river tours or vice versa... In addition, proactively build "green" product lines, Net Zero tours, using electric vehicles, guiding tourists to immerse themselves in nature and be more responsible for nature. These tours are both environmentally friendly, innovative in products, reducing the load on many traditional destinations, and bringing new and unique experiences, helping tourists experience local culture more deeply.
Sharing the same view, a representative of Vietnam Airlines said that in the context of climate change and the complex development of extreme weather trends, the Vietnamese tourism industry needs a long-term strategy to adapt and develop stably. Diversifying tourism products suitable for weather conditions, such as cultural tourism, culinary tourism, indoor resorts or conferences and events, will help maintain year-round appeal and minimize the impact of natural disasters. As a component of the industry, Vietnam Airlines is also continuing to promote green transformation and sustainable tourism development through the use of sustainable aviation fuel SAF, participating in IATA's CO₂ Connect initiative and aiming for the Net Zero 2050 target. At the same time, promoting comprehensive digital transformation in operations and passenger services, helping to improve forecasting, warning and supporting customers to change their itinerary flexibly, ensuring safety and the best experience for international travelers.
"Vietnam Airlines believes that, with the orientation of sustainable tourism development, adaptation to climate change and the support of the entire industry, Vietnam will continue to affirm its position as a safe, friendly and attractive destination, worthy of the image of a dynamic, hospitable and sustainable country in the eyes of international friends," said a representative of Vietnam Airlines.
In addition to policies to restore people's lives, the tourism industry also needs fast, strong, and direct policies to recover after storms and floods. In the long term, it is necessary to clearly reshape: A key industry like tourism, what institutions and policies are needed for it. We only have general institutions as a kind of pedestal. If tourism wants to develop strongly and sustainably, it needs policies that are specifically designed, direct, and quickly implemented.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietravel Corporation Nguyen Quoc Ky
International tourists flock to Nha Trang for winter vacation
Despite the rainy weather, international tourists, especially Russian tourists, still flock to Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) for winter vacation, opening the bustling year-end tourist peak season.
In October, accommodation establishments in Khanh Hoa province served about 461,000 international visitors, up 28% over the same period last year. Tourist attractions and beaches were flooded with international tourists, showing the strong attraction of Nha Trang in the rainy season.
Statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa province show that from the beginning of the year to the end of October, Khanh Hoa welcomed more than 14.8 million visitors, an increase of 16.1% over the same period in 2024. Of which, international visitors are estimated at more than 4.6 million, an increase of 17.6%, reaching 88.5% of the yearly plan; domestic visitors are more than 10.2 million, an increase of 15.4%. Total tourism revenue is nearly 60,319 billion VND, an increase of 20.1%, reaching 90.8% of the yearly plan.
Ba Duy
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/du-lich-but-toc-bat-chap-mua-bao-185251110232353772.htm
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