The first nine months of 2025 have marked a brand new milestone in Viet Nam’s tourism recovery.
According to data from the National Statistics Office, the country welcomed over 15.4 million international visitors in that period, representing a robust increase of 21.5 percent compared to the same months of 2024.
This surge not only underscores resilience in the wake of global disruptions but also reflects deliberate efforts by the government and private sector to revitalize travel and hospitality.
Viet Nam’s Tourism Is Not Slowing Down
The 21.5 percent year‑on‑year gain is a strong signal that Viet Nam’s tourism strategies are regaining momentum. In September alone, foreign arrivals reached about 1.5 million, marking a 19.5 percent increase from September of the previous year.
The increase in tourist arrivals is accompanied by healthy growth in tourism‑related revenues: accommodation and food services in the nine‑month span generated roughly VND 624.4 trillion (around USD 23.7 billion), up 14.8 percent year on year.
Travel agency services also saw revenue rising by about 20.5 percent. These figures highlight not only visitor volume but also deeper economic impact through services and operations.
Distribution by Mode of Entry
Air travel continues to dominate as the primary channel for foreign visitors. In the nine‑month period, around 13.1 million tourists arrived by air, accounting for about 85.2 percent of the total, and reflecting a year‑on‑year increase of 21.9 percent.
Land border crossings brought in approximately 2.1 million visitors (a 19.4 percent rise), while sea arrivals numbered about 190,600 (up 15.1 percent).
The continuing dominance of air transport is not surprising, given the ease and connectivity of international flights, but the steady growth in land and sea arrivals also suggests stronger cross‑border linkages and growing interest in multi‑modal tourism.
Where Do All of These Visitors Come from?
Viet Nam’s foreign tourism is heavily skewed toward Asia, but growth is evident across all regions. In the first nine months:
- Asia supplied over 12.2 million visitors, accounting for roughly 79 percent of the total. This segment grew by 20.9 percent compared to the previous year.
- Europe contributed about 1.9 million arrivals (around 12 percent of the total), with year‑on‑year growth of 34.9 percent, the strongest relative growth among the major regions.
- The Americas (North and South combined) brought roughly 800,000 visitors (about 5 percent share), rising 8.5 percent year on year.
- Oceania contributed approximately 445,000 arrivals, making up near 3 percent of total foreign visitors, with growth at 13.7 percent.
- Africa supplied a smaller but still growing number: around 40,700 visitors (less than 1 percent share), with growth of 4.7 percent.
These relative proportions speak to both geographic proximity and the success of targeted marketing in closer markets, while the exceptional growth rate coming from Europe suggests latent demand or renewed interest from farther afield.
Key Source Markets and Strategic Focus
Among individual source countries, China (around 3.9 million arrivals) and South Korea (about 3.2 million) remain the top contributors, together nearly accounting for half of all foreign arrivals. Other important markets include Taiwan, the United States, Japan, and India.
Notably, several emerging markets showed very high growth rates: Russia (up 273 percent), the Philippines (192 percent), Cambodia (150 percent) and India (142.9 percent) all registered strong gains.
These trends suggest that Viet Nam is not only recovering its traditional tourism flows but expanding its reach to newer and formerly under‑tapped markets.
To support this expansion, the government and tourism agencies have intensified promotional campaigns, eased visa requirements, and encouraged development of novel tourism products.
The strategy aims both to reinforce Viet Nam’s image as a welcoming, safe destination and to diversify the visitor base geographically.
Challenges and Outlook Toward the End of the Year
While the nine‑month result is strong, there are challenges ahead. The country still needs to close the gap between performance so far and its full‑year target, which is often cited as 22 to 25 million international visitors.
Travel demand can be sensitive to external shocks, such as economic slowdowns in source markets, currency fluctuations, health or safety concerns, and global geopolitical issues.
Maintaining quality infrastructure, visitor experience, and sustainable tourism practices will be critical to sustaining momentum.
Looking forward, Viet Nam is likely to maintain emphasis on markets in Asia, but the strong rebound from Europe and advances in long‑haul and emerging markets point to a more balanced growth model.
If momentum continues, the country stands a strong chance to meet or even exceed its ambitious goals for 2025, solidifying its position as a leading tourism destination in Southeast Asia.
