Russian and Indian tourists to Vietnam increase sharply

After 9 months of 2025, Vietnam has welcomed more than 15.4 million international visitors, reaching more than 61% of the yearly plan (25 million). With the current growth rate, the tourism industry needs about 9.6 million more visitors in the last quarter to reach the set target.

According to the General Statistics Office, in the first 9 months of 2025, Vietnam welcomed more than 15.4 million international visitors, an increase of 21.5% over the same period in 2024. September alone reached 1.52 million, an increase of 19.5%.

Of these, 84.5% came by air, 15.3% by road and 0.2% by sea. The two largest markets remained China (3.9 million arrivals, accounting for 25.2%) and South Korea (3.2 million arrivals, accounting for 21%), accounting for nearly half of the total international arrivals. The following markets included Taiwan, the US, Japan, India, Cambodia, Russia, Malaysia and Australia.

Notably, India rose to sixth place for the first time, with more than 500,000 arrivals, an increase of 42.9%. In the European region, Russia took the lead with an impressive increase of 173%, thanks to its visa-free policy and strong promotional activities.

To reach the finish line, the tourism industry needs about 9.6 million more international visitors in the last three months of the year.

PHOTO: LE NAM

About 85-86% of international visitors to Vietnam come by air, 13-14% by road and 1-2% by sea. Notably, the number of cruise tourists is showing a positive recovery trend as Asia- Pacific cruise lines resume their journeys to Ha Long, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, contributing to diversifying the source of visitors.

If maintaining an average speed of 1.7-1.8 million visitors/month, the tourism industry can reach 20-21 million by the end of the year, equivalent to 80-84% of the target of 25 million international visitors.

Experts say the ability to achieve the target of 25 million arrivals will depend largely on the peak tourist season at the end of the year (from October to December) when visitors from Europe, Australia and North Asia often increase sharply. In addition, the expanded e-visa policy and 90-day stay period are considered important drivers for this growth.

Tourists line up to board a double-decker bus at Nguyen Hue walking street (HCMC) on the evening of October 5.

PHOTO: LE NAM

According to this report, tourism service revenue in the first 9 months of 2025 is estimated at 69,600 billion VND, up 20.5% over the same period last year. At the same time, revenue from accommodation and catering services also maintained a steady growth momentum thanks to the increase in both domestic and international visitors, contributing positively to the overall growth of the service industry.

Major tourist centers such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi , Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc still lead in international arrivals, while witnessing a wave of investment in high-end products, MICE and green tourism.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khach-nga-an-do-toi-viet-nam-tang-manh-185251006152338032.htm