Two prestigious international news agencies, Bloomberg and Reuters, have just published articles that have shocked the Southeast Asian tourism industry. With the headlines "Vietnam surpasses Thailand to become the top destination for Chinese tourists" and "Thailand records a 7.1% decrease in the number of international tourists", these two news agencies have pointed out a remarkable trend: Vietnam is exploding, accelerating strongly and "usurping" Thailand to become the leading destination in the race for international tourist market share, especially from the Chinese market.
Impressive shift on the tourism map
Recently, the British news agency Reuters published an article with a worrying headline for Thailand: "Thailand records a 7.1% drop in international visitors". Accordingly, from January 1 to September 14, Thailand only welcomed about 23 million international visitors, a significant decrease compared to the same period in 2024. Analysis from the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports shows that although Malaysia is still the largest source market with 3.28 million visitors, China, the second largest market, only reached 3.23 million visitors.
On the same day, the US news agency Bloomberg also published an article with the straightforward title: "Vietnam surpasses Thailand to become the top destination for Chinese tourists". According to Bloomberg, the "new wave" of 3.5 million Chinese tourists has contributed to promoting Vietnam's tourism sector, helping this country overtake Thailand to become the top destination in Southeast Asia in attracting Chinese tourists.
This is no coincidence. Reuters quoted experts as saying that one of the main reasons is that Thailand's tourism reputation is declining. Many Chinese tourists have complained on social media about the high prices of hotels, food and taxis after the pandemic. Moreover, concerns about scams and especially the kidnapping of a Chinese actor in January 2025 have caused many tourists to "avoid" Thailand, leading to a decrease in the number of tourists from China by about 35% in 2025 (as of now).
Vietnam welcomes "new wave" of Chinese tourists
While Thailand faces a slump, Vietnam is seeing a “new wave” of Chinese tourists. According to analysis from China Trading Desk, a company that tracks Chinese tourism and credit card spending, the shift could mean a $3.5 billion loss in revenue for Thailand, which will flow to Vietnam and other neighboring countries.
The boom in Vietnam tourism is seen by experts as part of a major restructuring of Southeast Asia's multi-billion dollar tourism industry. This signals a fundamental shift in the preferences of the world's largest tourism market. "More than 40% of Chinese are now first-time international travelers. They are independent, educated and looking for authentic experiences," said Subramania Bhatt, CEO of China Trading Desk.
According to Mr. Bhatt, this new generation of Chinese tourists no longer wants to travel in a way that is “pushed onto a bus, taken to destinations, hotels, shops – where everything is Chinese”. Instead, they are looking for something new, authentic and willing to spend more for those experiences. For them, Vietnam brings different values, a genuine, wild and attractive beauty.
Bloomberg emphasized that, up to now, Vietnam has welcomed nearly 14 million international visitors, breaking the record this year. The number of tourists from China, the largest source market, alone has increased by 44% compared to the same period last year (as of August 2025). This is an impressive achievement, showing that Vietnam's efforts in improving tourism policies, promoting the country's image and improving service quality have brought about clear results.
Faced with the decline in international tourists, in August 2025, Thai authorities had to reduce their forecast for the number of international tourists arriving for the whole year from 37 million to 33 million, much lower than the record of nearly 40 million visitors in 2019. Meanwhile, with the current growth rate, Vietnam is facing a great opportunity to affirm its position as a leading destination in Southeast Asia, not only for Chinese tourists but also on the global tourism map.
This “usurpation” is not only a victory in terms of data but also a testament to the changing preferences of tourists. It shows that modern tourists are not only looking for famous destinations but also prioritizing authentic, unique and safe experiences. Vietnam, with its natural beauty, diverse culture and efforts in developing sustainable tourism, is increasingly meeting these needs, opening up a promising future for the national tourism industry.
