The shift in market dominance from the Chinese tourist market.
The most significant shift in 2025 was Vietnam's rise in the eyes of Chinese tourists, becoming the largest source market in the region. For the first time, the number of Chinese visitors to Vietnam surpassed Thailand with an impressive 5.3 million, while Thailand only reached 4.5 million.
This achievement is no coincidence. While Thailand's tourism industry is showing signs of stagnation and a 7.23% decline in international visitors in 2025 due to a lack of innovation and security concerns.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is continuously setting new milestones. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, we welcomed over 6.7 million international visitors, achieving stable growth and gradually narrowing the absolute gap with Thailand.
According to a representative from Thailand's Chon Buri Tourism Association, as shared in the Bangkok Post, it could take Vietnam only 2-3 years to attract more international tourists than Thailand. Vietnam's current appeal stems from a combination of new infrastructure, low living costs, and family-friendly vacation packages priced at only half the cost of similar products in Thailand.
In fact, many international travel agencies have redirected tours from Phuket to Nha Trang or Phu Quoc thanks to supportive flight policies and modern airport systems located just 30-45 minutes from the resorts.
Tourists arriving in Vietnam. (Illustrative photo by VGP)
From "affordable destination" to "unique experience"
Vietnam is gradually shedding the stereotype of being a "cheap destination" and shifting towards a tourism model that emphasizes depth and value for money. According to many experts, the trend of "Authentic Travel" is becoming a new competitive advantage, as international tourists are becoming saturated with the standardized, artificial entertainment complexes found in Phuket or Bali.
Vietnam is attracting the world with its inherent aspects of life, such as the heritage lifestyle in Hoi An, the spiritual atmosphere of Yen Tu, and the culture of Cai Rang floating market. In particular, the emergence of Michelin-starred restaurants has elevated Vietnamese cuisine from "street food" to a "high-end cultural experience."
Furthermore, the leverage from the 90-day E-visa policy has facilitated longer "slow travel" trips. Tourists no longer come just to "check-in" but spend weeks exploring Son Doong Cave, taking boat trips in Tam Coc, or enjoying wellness retreats at onsen hot springs – unique experiences not found in every country.
Impressive tourist destinations in Vietnam
Despite being a "rising star," Vietnam's tourism industry still faces inherent bottlenecks. In reality, the ability to retain repeat visitors and the level of tourist spending remain below expectations. While Thailand has built a comprehensive tourism ecosystem, Vietnam still lacks products that are compelling enough to encourage longer stays and higher spending.
From a business perspective, Martin Koerner, Commercial Director of The Anam Group, stated: To encourage international tourists not only to visit Vietnam but also to stay longer, spend more, and return, the focus should be on the quality of the experience.
Accordingly, managers need to focus on key solutions, especially shifting their mindset from "quantity" to "quality." Instead of simply attracting a large number of customers, they should focus on attracting the right high-spending segment and enhancing the customer experience through cultural, culinary , and healthcare perspectives.
Simultaneously, there is a strong emphasis on investing in "storytelling." Tourism is shifting from "seeing" to "feeling." The lack of unique brand stories for each destination is a bottleneck that makes it difficult for tourists to connect emotionally with the local identity.
According to experts, perfecting the service ecosystem is particularly important; this requires upgrading transportation infrastructure, improving connectivity between destinations, and enhancing the foreign language proficiency and service skills of the workforce to increase long-term competitiveness.
In addition, we need to expand international cooperation and continue researching visa exemption policies, especially proposing visa exemptions for group tours between Vietnam and China, in order to optimize this important source market.
According to experts, Vietnam is facing a golden opportunity to assert its position as a new tourism hub in the region. However, the glory of these record-breaking numbers will only be sustainable if we know how to appreciate and exploit the original values in a subtle and sustainable way, taking Vietnam's image further on the global tourism map.
Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/du-lich-viet-nam-and-life-sitting-in-southeast-asia-238260518113730845.htm
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