Foreign tourists explore the towering mountains of Pa Vi Commune, Meo Vac District, in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang (now part of Tuyen Quang Province).
Vietnam welcomed nearly 10.7 million international arrivals in the first half of 2025, marking an increase of nearly 21 per cent compared to the same period last year, and up 26 per cent compared to 2019 – the ‘golden era’ of Vietnamese tourism before COVID-19 pandemic struck.
According to newly released data from the National Statistics Office, in June alone, Vietnam received nearly 1.5 million foreign visitors, down 4 per cent from the previous month.
The 6 months’ figure stands at 49 per cent of the yearly target 22-23 million tourists, but it should be noted that the peak international tourism season in Vietnam lasts from October to March.
Air travel remained dominant, with over 9 million arrivals by air (accounting for over 85 per cent of the arrivals total, and up by 22.7 per cent compared to the first six months of 2024), followed by nearly 1.4 million by land, and the remainder arriving by sea.
Asia remained the largest market, accounting for over 8.41 million visitors (over 78 per cent), marking a 21.1 per cent increase year-on-year. Arrivals from Europe rose 26.5 per cent to 1.34 million, while visitors from the Americas grew 8.6 per cent to 582,800.
Tourist numbers from Oceania reached 304,200, up 14.1 per cent, whereas arrivals from Africa edged down 0.3 per cent to 25,200.
Tourists from Northeast Asia account for 60 per cent of total international visitors to Vietnam in the first half of the year. Chinese tourists continue to top the list with over 2.7 million arrivals, followed by South Koreans with 2.2 million. Next in line are visitors from Japan, Taiwan (China), the United States, and India.
In the opposite direction, more than 4 million Vietnamese travelled abroad in the past six months – a rise of nearly 54 per cent compared to the same period last year.
“Transport and tourism activities have surged to meet consumer demand both regionally and globally, making a positive contribution to economic growth. The value added by the service sector in the first half of the year rose by over 8 per cent year-on-year – the highest rate for the same period since 2011,” the statistics office noted.
According to a report by leading consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Việt Nam ranks among the world’s top emerging tourism markets, alongside China, India, and Saudi Arabia. These markets are quickly overtaking traditional tourism powerhouses such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
The May edition of the World Tourism Barometer published by the United Nations Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism) revealed that in the first quarter of this year, Vietnam recorded the sixth-highest growth in international arrivals worldwide – up 30 per cent from the same period in 2024. Within the Asia–Pacific region, Vietnam ranked first, followed by Japan and the Republic of Palau.
Bloomberg reported that Vietnam has emerged as the third most-visited country in Southeast Asia, with 17.5 million international visitors last year – surpassing Singapore and trailing only Malaysia (25 million visitors) and Thailand (35 million visitors).
Experts believe the growing number of direct flights from other countries to Vietnam is one of the key factors fuelling the country's tourism boom.
