Two 'leverages' to increase international visitor growth

After a period of stagnation due to the pandemic , Vietnam tourism has entered a recovery and breakthrough trajectory . From January to the end of July 2025, the whole country welcomed 12.2 million international visitors , an increase of 22.5% over the same period in 2024 , reaching nearly 50% of the yearly plan . This number reflects the attractiveness of the destination and affirms the effectiveness of management policies and the efforts of the entire industry .

According to the market report at the Travel 2025 Conference , within the framework of the International Travel Fair ITE, two key " leverage " factors are open visa policies and convenient air connections .

Travel 2025 Conference within the framework of ITE International Travel Fair.

Impact of visa policy

In 2025, Vietnam will continue to expand visa exemption, extend stay and apply multi- national e-visas . Notably , Resolution 229/NQ-CP allows citizens of 13 European countries to be exempt from visas for a stay of 45 days. Thanks to that , many markets have recorded strong growth : China increased by 45.7%, Japan increased by 18.2%, the Philippines nearly doubled , Cambodia increased by 54.4%... This flexible policy not only removes entry barriers but also helps Vietnam improve its competitive advantage in the region.

Experts and tourism businesses share the same view : Visa convenience plays a key role in enhancing Vietnam 's competitiveness compared to regional destinations such as Thailand , Singapore or Malaysia. Maintaining and expanding visa exemptions and developing e - visas will help Vietnam become the top choice for international visitors .

From a business perspective, Ms. Doan Ngoc Thao - Deputy General Director of The Swing Sports and Tourism Joint Stock Company , said that golfers from Korea and Taiwan ( China ) are a high - spending group of customers, often combining their vacations .

“ If visa policies continue to be favorable, Vietnam can absolutely become Asia 's top destination for golf tourists ,” he emphasized .

Leverage from aviation

In 7 months, up to 85.1% of international visitors came to Vietnam by air , equivalent to 10.4 million arrivals , up 23.8% over the same period . The opening and restoration of direct flights to India , Australia , and Europe has created a big push , especially when the India - Middle East market emerged as a potential source of visitors . In addition to transportation , aviation has also become an effective promotional channel through tourism promotion campaigns associated with national brands .

The tourism market shows a clear shift : visitors from Korea slightly decreased, while distant markets such as Europe - America - Australia grew by 22.9 % . This is an opportunity for travel businesses to diversify products , develop long -term tours , experiential tourism, combine accommodation, transportation, MICE and culinary services . However , unsynchronized infrastructure , lack of high - quality human resources and products that are not unique enough are still big challenges .

The results of the past 7 months have confirmed that open visa policies and convenient air connections have become two key driving forces helping Vietnam attract international visitors . If this pace is maintained , the goal of welcoming 25 million visitors by 2025 is completely feasible . However , to develop sustainably, the tourism industry needs to focus on improving product quality , investing in human resources and creating a distinctive mark to increase value and position on the global tourism map .