Vietnam is looking forward to welcoming up to 23 million international visitors in 2025, which is the target set by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
This projected figure is higher by 30% than the forecast for 2024; at the same time, tourism is expected to contribute up to eight percent to Vietnam’s total gross domestic product (GDP).
By 2025, the sector aims to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels. Some 18 million tourists visited in 2019.
Looking ahead to 2030, Vietnam’s tourism industry aims to become a spearhead economic sector, targeting 35 million international visitors and 160 million domestic tourists. The sector aims to contribute up to 13% to the GDP, creating over 10 million jobs.
Foreign arrivals in 2024
Vietnam welcomed 17.5 million foreign tourists in 2024 and earned about US$30billion in tourism revenues. The arrival figures marked a 41 percent year-on-year increase due increased flight connections, visa waiver policies and increased marketing efforts.
Over 1.75 million foreign tourists visited in December, marking a 27% year-on-year hike and the highest monthly numbers for 2024.
By region, international visitors to Vietnam from Asia accounted for 79.6%. Europe: 11.3%, Americas: 5.7%, Oceania: 3,1%, Africa: 0.3%.
Top source markets
Visitors from Asia accounted for nearly 80% of the total international arrivals to Vietnam, with over 12.6 million.
South Korea was the largest source market (26%), with 4.5 million visitors, an increase of 27% compared to the same period last year. It was followed by China (21%)which doubled its number of visitors to 3.7 million visitors.
Among the top 10 markets were the USA (780,000 arrivals), Japan (711,000), India (501,000), Malaysia (495,000), Australia (491,000), Cambodia (475,000) and Thailand (418,000).
In the European market, the United Kingdom is the largest source of visitors, with over 279,000 visits, followed by France, Germany, and Russia.
Visa waivers
To meet the target set for 2025, the tourism industry will focus resources on potential and high-quality markets such as China, South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, North America, India, and the Middle East.
The industry will select international markets based on criteria such as visa-free entry markets, markets with convenient flight connections, and markets with high potential, growth capacity, and quality.
At present, the country unilaterally waives citizens from 13 countries from visa requirements, namely Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Belarus. They can stay for 45 days from the date of entry, regardless of passport types and entry purposes.
Major cities announce targets for 2025, but with challenges
Ho Chi Minh City has set targets to welcome 8.5 million international tourists and 45 million domestic visitors, and generate US$10billion in tourism revenue in 2025, according to the municipal Department of Tourism. The southern metropolis served six million international travellers in 2024, rising 20% year on year and fulfilling its target.
Da Nang, a central coastal city in Vietnam, has set an ambitious target of welcoming 11.9 million tourists in 2025, including 4.8 million international travellers. This target signifies an annual growth of 10% in domestic visitors and 17% in foreign tourists.
On the negative side, Vietnam’s capital Hanoi has been covered in thick smog over recent weeks, putting it at the top of a list of the world’s most polluted cities, as the government said it would push for more electric vehicles (EVs) to alleviate the problem. Ho Chi Minh City is also facing the same problem of air pollution.
Tourism GDP contribution below global average
A local industry expert said that Vietnam’s tourism contribution to GDP in 2023 at 7% and 8% in 2024, is below the global average of 10.3%, and lagging behind regional counterparts, with Thailand at 23%, the Philippines at 22.5%, and Cambodia at 25.8%.
Industry experts have urged Vietnam to re-evaluate its competitiveness and refine its policy framework to tackle the obstacles hindering growth and sustainability for businesses within the tourism sector.
Despite nearing its target of 18 million, Vietnam’s foreign tourist numbers were significantly lower than other Southeast Asian countries.
Thailand, where tourism plays a critical role in the economy, recorded over 35 million foreign arrivals in 2024, while Malaysia welcomed over 22.5 million as of November.
Malaysia had recently announced it aims to attract over 35 million visitors in 2026 in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
