Vietnam’s tourism sets a new record, ranking among the world’s fastest-growing

International visitors by month (thousand arrivals)

Source: Compiled from National Statistics Office’s data

Accordingly, arrivals by air reached over 17.8 million, accounting for 84.3% of total international visitors and increasing by 20.2% year on year. Arrivals by land totaled nearly 3.1 million, representing 14.4% of the total and rising by 22.6%, while arrivals by sea reached 273.9 thousand, accounting for 1.3% and increasing by 10.4%.

In terms of regional composition, Asia continued to be the primary source region, contributing 16.6 million visitors (78.6%). This was followed by Europe with 2.8 million arrivals (13.1%), the Americas with 1.1 million (5.2%), Oceania with 0.6 million (2.9%), and Africa with 56 thousand arrivals (0.3%).

China continued to be Viet Nam’s largest source market, contributing 5.3 million visitors – approximately one quarter of total international arrivals. South Korea ranked second with 4.3 million arrivals, accounting for 20.5%. Other major source markets among the top ten included Taiwan (1.2 million), the United States (849 thousand), Japan (814 thousand), India (746 thousand), Russia (690 thousand), Cambodia (687 thousand), Malaysia (574 thousand), and Australia (548 thousand).

Key Growth Drivers

Top 10 international markets of 2025 (thousand arrivals)

Source: Compiled from National Statistics Office’s data

In 2025, large-scale Asian markets served as the primary drivers of international tourism growth. Notable increases were recorded from China (+41.3% compared to 2024), Japan (+14.4%), and India (+48.9%). South Korea experienced a slight decline of 5.2%.

Short-haul markets in Southeast Asia recorded particularly strong growth, including the Philippines (+81.3%), Cambodia (+44.8%), Laos (+20.6%), Malaysia (+15.8%), Indonesia (+12.5%), Singapore (+15.5%), and Thailand (+9.5%).

Europe experienced a breakthrough year, with arrivals increasing by 38.8% compared to 2024. Russia emerged as the largest European source market with 690 thousand arrivals and recorded the strongest growth rate at +196.9%. Several other European markets achieved double-digit growth, including the United Kingdom (+20.3%), France (+21.1%), Germany (+16.6%), Italy (+20.7%), Denmark (+12.2%), Norway (+19.1%), and Sweden (+15.3%).

In addition, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland also recorded positive growth, with increases of 42.6%, 1.6%, and 18.7%, respectively. These outcomes reflect the effectiveness of Government’s Resolution No. 11/NQ-CP on short-term visa exemptions for citizens of these countries entering Viet Nam under the Tourism Stimulus Program in 2025.

Tourism and Services Contribute Significantly to GDP Growth

According to the National Statistics Office (Ministry of Finance), Viet Nam’s GDP grew by 8.02% in 2025 compared to the previous year. Of the total increase in value added across the economy, the tourism and service sector grew by 8.62%, contributing 51.08%; the industry and construction sector increased by 8.95%, contributing 43.62%; and the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector grew by 3.78%, contributing 5.30%.

Dynamic tourism activities, together with the record-high number of international arrivals in 2025, played a crucial role in driving the growth of the service sector.

Revenue from accommodation and food services in 2025 was estimated at VND 843.1 trillion, accounting for 12.0% of total retail and service revenue and increasing by 14.6% year on year. Revenue from travel services was estimated at VND 93.9 trillion, representing 1.4% of the total and rising by 20.2% compared to 2024.

These achievements reflect the Government’s strong leadership and decisive policy direction, as well as the tourism sector’s efforts to restructure source markets, diversify tourism products, foster promotion and marketing activities, and, notably, implement increasingly open visa policies that have significantly enhanced Viet Nam’s attractiveness as a destination.

With nearly 21.2 million international visitors in 2025, Viet Nam’s tourism sector has reached a new milestone for the first time, marking a new phase of accelerated development and reinforcing the country’s position and brand in the global tourism market. This achievement also provides a solid foundation for pursuing the target of welcoming 25 million international visitors in 2026.