Hanoi tourism accelerates, becoming the leading destination in the region

Hanoi tourism is on the rise, with remarkable strides in attracting international tourists and expanding high-quality tourism products.

Foreign tourists enjoy the ancient beauty of Hanoi's Old Quarter. (Photo: Thanh Tung)

Growth beyond expectations

On November 13, speaking at the conference on information and implementation of key tasks of Hanoi city's press work in November 2025, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism Nguyen Tran Quang said that in 2025, the capital's tourism industry has affirmed its role and position as one of the economic sectors with a stable growth rate, increasingly expanding scale of operations, effectively contributing to the city's economic restructuring.

According to statistics, by the end of October 2025, Hanoi welcomed more than 28.2 million visitors, reaching 91% of the yearly plan and exceeding the total number of visitors for the whole year of 2024 (27.8 million). Notably, international visitors reached nearly 6.2 million, equivalent to 82.6% of the yearly target, while total revenue from tourism reached nearly 110,000 billion VND, reaching 84.6% of the target.

These figures have many layers of meaning, affirming that Hanoi has overcome the passive recovery phase. The strong return of the international tourist market shows that the confidence of tourists and travel agencies in the capital destination has been significantly strengthened.

At the same time, the growth exceeding the plan reflects the effectiveness of expanding tourism products, shifting from traditional models to diversifying according to new market needs. Instead of relying only on heritage routes or old streets, Hanoi has exploited cultural and creative values, opening up tourism spaces to the Red River banks, suburban areas and surrounding areas. These indicators show that the capital's tourism industry is gradually escaping dependence on the traditional tourist market, while responding well to the trend of experience, relaxation and entertainment, which has increased sharply after Covid-19.

In particular, the A80 national event is considered by many experts to be an important "push", helping Hanoi improve its capacity to organize large-scale events, while creating opportunities to promote its image directly and strongly internationally. This is also a testament to the capital's ability to "take the lead" in taking advantage of political and diplomatic activities to spread the value of the destination.

One of the notable changes in the capital’s tourism in recent times is the shift in product development thinking. Red River tours, once only on a trial scale, have now become one of the iconic products of Hanoi in the new period. The river associated with the history of Thang Long is “awakened” by cruises, cultural and culinary experiences, and art activities combining light and music on the water. This is considered an important step in turning natural resources into valuable tourism assets.

Along with that, the expansion of cultural and creative spaces through new walking streets, light festivals, contemporary art performances, or events related to the cultural industry are contributing to shaping a more youthful and attractive Hanoi for international tourists.

At the service level, high-end accommodation models, boutique hotels, art homestays and entertainment and commercial complexes according to international standards have been invested in a variety of ways. This helps Hanoi not only increase the number of accommodation rooms but also improve the quality of experience, meeting the increasing needs of large-spending customers.

Tourists experience the "Hanoi 5-door" tourist train connecting the heritage of Thang Long (Hanoi) - Kinh Bac (Bac Ninh). (Photo: Hoang Lan)

Towards Asia's leading experiential city

Hanoi is entering a period of strong transformation, aiming to become a leading experience destination in Asia. Hanoi's goal in 2026 is to welcome 35.8 million visitors, including 8.6 million international visitors. However, to reach international standards like Bangkok (Thailand) or Hong Kong (China) - destinations that welcome 30-40 million international visitors each year, Hanoi needs to shift from increasing quantity to improving the quality and spending value of tourists.

According to experts, the capital should focus on developing MICE tourism, golf and luxury tourism, targeting groups of customers with spending levels 2-3 times higher than the average. At the same time, it is necessary to invest in entertainment, shopping and culinary areas operating 24/7 to promote the night economy, building unique brands such as "Street Food Capital" or "Asia-Europe Intersection".

However, to improve, the city needs to: Develop specialized MICE packages, combining meetings with cultural experiences and suburban excursions; expand large-scale convention centers according to international standards; increase promotion in key markets such as Korea, Singapore, and Europe; MICE tourism is forecast to generate spending 3-5 times higher than normal tourism, contributing significantly to revenue.

At the same time, exploit golf tourism and the high-end market. Golf-wellness tourists from Korea, Japan, and Europe are a group with high and stable spending levels. Hanoi and neighboring provinces have a large golf course system, beautiful landscapes and suitable climate to form a regional golf-resort tourism cluster. Completing the high-end ecosystem will help increase the number of days of stay, expand the segment of customers with high spending ability and create a distinct brand for tourism in the capital.

Finally, developing the night economy is a matter of increasing attractiveness. Compared to many cities in the region, Hanoi's night economy still has a lot of room. To increase competitiveness, the city needs to establish 24/7 culinary, shopping and entertainment spaces; build the brand "Asia's Street Food Capital" with a system of quality and safety standards; invest in performing arts activities, light festivals, and creative night markets. The night economy is expected to become an important growth driver, increasing spending and creating more value for the service industry.

Journey to build a new level

The continuous growth signals in the first 10 months of 2025 are showing that Hanoi tourism is entering a new phase of acceleration, not only recovering from the pandemic but also rising strongly on the regional tourism map. From record numbers, new product models to a deep development strategy towards sustainable quality, Hanoi is establishing its aspiration to become a leading experience destination in Asia.

That journey requires large investment and close coordination between sectors, but is also the inevitable direction for Hanoi to become a leading destination in Asia - a place where tourists not only "visit" but also want to "stay and come back".

The important thing is that Hanoi has been taking steps in the right direction. From exploiting cultural and creative resources to developing new product strategies, from digital transformation in promotion to improving destination management capacity, the capital's tourism is shaping a sustainable, professional and integrated development model.

When infrastructure, policies and people move together, the capital Hanoi will not only be an administrative-cultural center but also a vibrant, friendly and experience-rich destination. In the long term, Hanoi has every reason to expect to become a major tourist center of Asia - where visitors can find a unique blend of tradition and modernity, between the tranquility of a thousand-year heritage and the vibrant life of a creative city.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/du-lich-ha-noi-but-toc-tro-thanh-diem-den-hang-dau-khu-vuc-334347.html