The opening ceremony of National Tourism Year 2025 in Hue marked a major push to position the former imperial capital as a top cultural and heritage destination.

Tourism breaks pre-pandemic records in 2025

HANOI (VNS/ANN) -- In 2025, travel to Vietnam felt unhurried again. Long-haul visitors lingered, domestic travellers rediscovered familiar routes, and airports across the country quietly filled with the rhythms of movement returning to normal.
Vietnam’s tourism industry staged a decisive comeback in 2025, not only recovering from the shock of the pandemic but surpassing its pre-crisis peak on almost every major indicator, according to official data.
For the first time, the country welcomed 21.5 million international visitors, breaking the previous record of 18 million set in 2019.
Total tourism revenue also crossed a historic threshold, exceeding VNĐ1 quadrillion (about US$38 billion), equivalent to roughly 8.8 percent of GDP.
The rebound placed Vietnam among the world’s fastest-growing tourism markets. International arrivals grew by approximately 21 percent, far outpacing the global average of 5 percent and the Asia–Pacific average of 8 percent.
While global tourism has recovered to around 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, Vietnam’s recovery is estimated at 110 percent.
The year’s most emblematic moment came on December 15, when Vietnam welcomed its 20-millionth international visitor at Phu Quoc International Airport.
The guest, Karolina Agnieszka from Poland, became a symbolic marker of the country’s renewed pull as a long-haul destination.
The milestone capped a year in which Vietnam steadily rebuilt confidence among travellers, airlines and tour operators, even as the global economy remained clouded by inflation, geopolitical tensions and uneven recovery across key markets.
Much of the surge was driven by sweeping visa reforms introduced from late 2023 and felt fully in 2025. The country expanded visa-free entry, rolled out 90-day e-visas for all nationalities, and extended permitted stays to 45 days for citizens of multiple countries.
“ Vietnam is moving from a reactive strategy toward an active, market-building approach, aimed at improving visa policy and air connectivity,” said Phan Linh Chi, deputy director of the National Authority of Tourism (NAT).
The reforms made it easier for visitors, particularly from Europe, North America and Australia, to plan longer, higher-spending trips.
If international arrivals supplied the headline figures, domestic tourism provided the sector’s stabilising force. Vietnam recorded about 135 million domestic trips in 2025, up roughly 22 percent from the previous year and nearly 1.6 times the level seen in 2019.
Domestic travellers increasingly opted for independent travel and weekend breaks, supported by promotional campaigns, new tourism products and improving transport infrastructure. Demand broadened across beach resorts, eco-tourism, cultural experiences and food-focused travel.
Crucially, spending and length of stay rose alongside volumes. In Hanoi, for example, tourism revenue rose by 21.5 percent to around VNĐ135 trillion (US$5.1 billion), partly because visitors stayed longer and spent more per trip.
Data from the first 11 months of the year shows clear shifts in visitor source markets. Northeast Asia remained the backbone of inbound tourism.
South Korea delivered nearly 4 million visitors, while China recorded a strong rebound with about 4.8 million arrivals, reaffirming its position as a key source market.
European arrivals grew sharply, benefiting from visa exemptions and longer stays. Russia saw one of the most dramatic rebounds, with arrivals up nearly 191 percent year-on-year.
Traditional Western European markets such as the UK, France and Germany maintained double-digit growth.
Growth was also visible in non-traditional markets. Poland recorded a 41.7 percent increase, reflecting Vietnam’s push into Central and Eastern Europe, while India emerged as a fast-rising market, up 47.2 percent, supported by new direct flights and demand from the weddings and events travel segment.
The tourism rebound unfolded alongside a major transformation in transport infrastructure. By December, Vietnam had completed over 3,000 kilometres of expressways, linking regions from the northern border to the southern tip of the Mekong Delta.
The opening of key sections, including the Can Tho - Ca Mau Expressway, dramatically shortened travel times and turned once-remote destinations into viable weekend trips.

(Latest Update January 5, 2026)