Tourists take a tour of Hanoi on a double-decker bus - Photo: TTD
The bright spot in tourism's growth creates momentum for the development of other industries and sectors, as well as making a positive and effective contribution to achieving economic growth targets.
The "golden" half-year for Vietnamese tourism .
On July 7th, in an interview with Tuoi Tre newspaper , Ms. Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang, Deputy General Director of Vietravel, informed that in the first six months of 2025, Vietravel experienced strong and consistent growth in international tourist markets, bringing in significant revenue.
Drawing from her own experience to gain an overview of Vietnam's tourism industry, Ms. Hoang assessed that the strong growth in international visitors to Vietnam in the first six months of 2025 was a result of open visa policies, improved aviation infrastructure, and the shifting trends in international tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"Furthermore, Vietnam is gradually emerging as an attractive destination thanks to its diverse products, reasonable costs, and efforts to promote its national image."
"Many tourism businesses have proactively restructured their inbound market products and intensified communication in key markets such as Northeast Asia, Europe, Australia, and India... to capitalize on this trend," Ms. Hoang analyzed.
Meanwhile, the first six months of the year saw a booming business for the travel company Vietluxtour, with Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, the company's representative, stating that the number of international tourists increased by 20% compared to the same period in 2024, especially Russian tourists.
To attract international tourists, Ms. Thu added that in addition to its strengths in the European and American markets, Vietluxtour is exploring new markets such as South Korea, India, Sri Lanka, and Australia...
At the same time, we should make good use of themed tours focusing on culture and history, event-based tours, and MICE tours (with diverse options ranging from all-inclusive packages and customized tours to individual service components)...
Source: Vietnam National Tourism Administration - Data: THAO THUONG - Graphics: TAN DAT
One of the top 10 highlights of the country in the first six months of the year.
According to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, thanks to a relaxed visa policy, effective promotional activities, and tourism stimulus programs, the tourism industry welcomed nearly 10.7 million international visitors in the first half of the year, achieving nearly 49% of the growth target for the whole year of 2025.
The number of international visitors in the first half of this year increased by 20.7% compared to the same period last year and was 25.7% higher than the same period in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of visitors in the first half of this year is even higher than the total number of visitors for the whole year of 2016 (10 million).
Explaining the increase in international visitors, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration attributes it primarily to the impact of visa exemption and e-visa policies, as well as innovations in tourism promotion and diversification of products and services. In particular, tourism promotion efforts in Europe, such as in Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Poland, have been effective.
Promoting film and media tourism, and tourism on digital platforms, has also helped strengthen the presence of Vietnamese tourism in key international markets.
At the first government-local authorities conference following the implementation of the two-tiered local government model, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed tourism as one of the top 10 highlights in the first six months of this year.
With 10.7 million international visitors already achieved in the first half of this year, the tourism industry is hoping to reach its growth target (22-23 million visitors) in 2025. According to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, the peak season from October to December each year is considered to have a significant impact on visitor numbers.
Passengers lined up in long queues waiting to pass through the immigration area at Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) on the morning of July 7 - Photo: DINH PHUC
Opportunities and solutions to enhance the attraction of international tourists.
According to Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, communications director of BestPrice, in order to reach the target of 22-23 million tourists in 2025, Vietnam needs an average of about 1.9-2 million international tourists per month from now until the end of the year.
"Besides the challenges, we also have favorable factors as Northeast Asian markets such as China, South Korea, and Japan are gradually recovering, while the ASEAN region and Europe continue to be stable sources of tourists. In addition, new visa policies expanding visa exemptions and increasing the length of stay also make Vietnam more attractive to international tourists," Mr. Tu commented.
Mr. Tú proposed four solutions to enhance the attraction of international tourists, aiming to achieve the goal of welcoming 22-23 million international visitors this year.
Firstly, strengthen promotion in key and emerging markets by increasing tourism promotion activities in rapidly recovering markets such as South Korea, Australia, India, and the Middle East.
In addition, we should expand high-end products in high-spending markets such as Australia, the US, Switzerland, Poland, etc. India is also a potential market to be exploited by developing suitable products (tours combining weddings, cultural exploration, culinary experiences, etc.).
Secondly, optimize visa and direct flight policies, increase frequency and open more direct routes to major cities in Australia, the US, Eastern Europe, etc.; implement quickly and communicate clearly about e-visa and visa exemption policies so that customers can easily access and trust them.
Thirdly, create a boost from special events and new products by organizing international festivals, countdown programs, and cultural and culinary festivals at key destinations, introducing "expert-guided tourism" or "wellness tourism" products, developing green tourism, and tourism combined with cultural experiences - which are of great interest to international tourists.
Fourth, stimulate demand through public-private partnerships. Local authorities need to work closely with businesses in promotion, communication, and event organization at destinations. Major airlines, OTAs, and travel agencies need support to launch attractive, all-inclusive packages that are easy to book, easy to travel to, and easy to experience.
Meanwhile, a representative from Vietluxtour suggested that the tourism industry needs to strengthen online marketing and develop e-commerce platforms specializing in Vietnamese tourism.
"We can refer to Ctrip.com from China, which is very popular with Vietnamese and international tourists, because with the current trend of technological development, tourists only need a few clicks online to book a travel itinerary anywhere in the world," Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, representative of Vietluxtour, cited as an example.
Source: Vietnam National Tourism Administration - Data: THAO THUONG - Graphics: TAN DAT
Vietnam's tourism sector is experiencing the highest growth in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the World Tourism Barometer (May 2025 issue) of the United Nations Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), in the first quarter of 2025, Vietnam's tourism sector will be a bright spot with the highest growth rate of international tourists in the Asia-Pacific region, increasing by 30% compared to the same period in 2024.
Vietnam also ranked second in terms of recovery in international visitor numbers (up 34% compared to 2019) and fourth in terms of growth in total tourism revenue, with a 29% increase compared to 2024.
An opportunity to revitalize the destination.
Speaking to Tuoi Tre newspaper , Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, director of the marketing department of Vietravel Tourism Company, shared that the change in administrative names after the merger also brings opportunities as well as challenges for the tourism industry.
International tourists need time to get used to the new name. Travel businesses need to adjust their brochures, maps, and promotional materials. However, this is also an opportunity to refresh the image of the destination, tell the story of the land, and increase brand depth.
According to Ms. Van Khanh, to help tourists quickly adapt to the changes, it is necessary to consistently use the new names along with explanations of the old names during the transition period. This should be combined with updating the website, maps, tour products, and communication content.
* Delegate BUI HOAI SON (full-time delegate at the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs):
Vietnam is rising to become a world-class destination.
The latest statistics released by the General Statistics Office on July 5th show an encouraging sign: in the first six months of 2025, Vietnam's tourism sector welcomed nearly 10.7 million international visitors, a 21% increase compared to the same period last year and far exceeding the figure for the same period in 2019 - the period before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In particular, the number of visitors arriving by air – nearly 9.1 million – continued to dominate, demonstrating that aviation infrastructure is effectively meeting the needs of expanding tourism and reflecting Vietnam's attractiveness in the eyes of global tourists. Road and sea transport – although not yet a major factor – are potential channels, especially as border and coastal provinces are actively expanding connectivity and developing new products.
These figures not only demonstrate the inherent vitality of the industry but also serve as proof of Vietnam's growing attractiveness for high-quality tourism: from beach resorts, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), golf tourism, to medical tourism, culinary tourism, and cultural experiences.
Beyond its inherent strengths, Vietnam's tourism industry is gradually gaining international recognition as a bright spot in post-pandemic recovery.
However, to achieve the target of welcoming 22-23 million international tourists in 2025, there is still significant room for growth and many challenges to overcome.
Among various solutions, focusing on expanding visa exemptions, extending the length of stay, and promoting multi-entry e-visas will be key to helping Vietnam enhance its competitiveness in the region.
Alongside this is the upgrading of soft infrastructure: from tourist information, signposts, environmental hygiene, to service attitudes.
Tourism today is not just about sightseeing, but about experiences. And that experience is created from the smallest details, from a friendly smile to the responsiveness of the service system.
Another important point is the need to focus more on the depth of content in tourism products. We've talked a lot about destinations and beautiful scenery, but what keeps tourists coming back and makes them want to return are unique cultural experiences. This is where tourism needs to connect more deeply with cinema, literature, music, intangible heritage, and the contemporary values that Vietnam possesses in a unique way.
Da Nang has welcomed nearly 4 million visitors since the beginning of the year.
On July 7th, the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that from the beginning of the year until now, destinations in the former Da Nang area have welcomed a total of nearly 4 million visitors. Particularly from May 31st to June 28th, the focal point of the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2025, accommodation establishments served approximately 1.17 million visitors, an increase of 10.3% compared to the same period in 2024. Revenue from accommodation, food, and travel in the first six months of 2025 is estimated to reach over 18,200 billion VND.
Da Nang is continuously launching new flight routes connecting to major tourist destinations around the world.
Notably, in June, Emirates, the world's largest airline, extended its route from Dubai, using wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a layover in Thailand and a stopover in Da Nang City, with a frequency of 4 flights per week.
This is considered a huge boost, the result of two years of negotiations between Da Nang City and Emirates to bring luxury tourists to the central coastal city.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/du-lich-viet-nam-don-lan-song-khach-quoc-te-tang-manh-20250708092841362.htm
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