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On March 18, 2025, Meet The Experts (MTE), the largest annual symposium on real estate and hospitality in the region, took place at the Autograph Collection Hotel (Ho Chi Minh City), organized by WeHub, Savills Hotels, and their partners.
With the theme "Towards a New Development Cycle," the conference brought together over 50 speakers and more than 1,000 senior personnel, including representatives from leading investors, hotel owners, management companies, design firms, and consulting companies in the Real Estate and Resort industry. The conference once again affirmed its role as a platform for connecting industry stakeholders, updating professional knowledge, and exchanging strategic perspectives and practical solutions to support the Vietnamese Real Estate & Resort industry in preparing for a new development cycle.
Vietnam's tourism industry has had a promising year of growth, a result of the combined efforts of several factors such as relaxed visa policies, improved tourism infrastructure, and effective marketing strategies from local authorities and businesses. This synergy has helped Vietnam increasingly solidify its position as a safe and friendly destination on the international tourism map. In the first two months of 2025 alone, Vietnam welcomed nearly 4 million international visitors, a 30% increase compared to the same period last year and the highest growth rate in the region.
Mr. Mauro Gasparotti, Senior Director, Savills Hotels Southeast Asia and founder of the MTE conference series, shared: “The Vietnamese hospitality industry has had a very successful year, with international visitor numbers recovering to pre-pandemic levels. Average hotel occupancy rates nationwide have improved by 15 percentage points, while room rates have also increased by 5%, mainly due to strong growth in the luxury segment. In 2024, key coastal destinations such as Nha Trang - Cam Ranh continue to record exceptional growth (125%) in the number of international visitors compared to the previous year. Phu Quoc also saw a tourism boom in the last months of the year, thanks to the increase in direct international flights. This growth trend is expected to continue, especially as Phu Quoc prepares to host the APEC 2027 Conference, affirming its position as a global destination.”
Mauro Gasparotti, Senior Director, Savills Hotels Southeast Asia. Source: WeHub
“Vietnam’s tourism industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation, with the emergence of new business models, brands, and resorts. Trends such as branded residences, luxury real estate, sky bars, beach clubs, wellness retreats, and all-inclusive resorts are increasingly being developed to meet the diverse needs of various customer segments and contribute to the development of tourist destinations. In addition, technological elements such as artificial intelligence (AI) are predicted to revolutionize the tourism industry, optimizing operational processes and personalizing the experience for tourists. These innovations will drive the next phase of development for the real estate and resort industry in Vietnam, attracting leading brands and shaping the future of the industry. This is the right time to re-evaluate models for a new long-term development cycle,” Mr. Mauro further shared.
Market highlights and key trends
At the event, speakers from STR CoStar, VinaCapital, Savills Hotels, Minor Hotels, and CMV Architects provided in-depth analysis of the business performance of Vietnam's resort industry compared to the region, as well as sharing real estate development strategies from an investor's perspective. In addition, the speakers introduced successful models from overseas markets and their potential application in Vietnam, such as integrated resort and all-inclusive resort models.
During the discussion session on the Vietnamese resort market, senior representatives from Accor Hotels Group, Masterise Group, SonKim Land, Sovico Hospitality Group, Minor Hotels, M Village, Fusion Hotel Group, and Club Med exchanged views on market trends and future growth opportunities. Speakers particularly emphasized the increasing demand for new hotel models such as limited-service hotels, all-inclusive resorts, and lifestyle hotels, highlighting development trends in the tourism industry and opportunities for investors.
Ms. Uyen Nguyen, Deputy Director of Savills Hotels Southeast Asia, shared: “Infrastructure development has a significant impact on shaping the future of Vietnam’s resort market. In 2025, in the aviation sector alone, the country plans to expand five airports – Cat Bi, Vinh, Dong Hoi, Ca Mau, and Phu Quoc – to enhance operational capacity, thereby improving connectivity and increasing tourist numbers.”
In Ho Chi Minh City, it is expected that after the first phase of Long Thanh International Airport and its connecting metro system become operational, accessibility for both domestic and international tourists will significantly improve. This will not only encourage longer stays but also increase hotel demand in areas outside the city center, while enhancing Ho Chi Minh City's attractiveness for MICE tourism. Hotels located near metro stations will benefit from this increased demand, thereby driving the development of new projects in locations with convenient connections to the metro system, especially selective service hotels and lifestyle hotels. Furthermore, improved transportation infrastructure also creates opportunities for the luxury hotel segment to expand to areas outside the central District 1.
Prospects for the ultra-luxury real estate market in 2025
At the MTE conference, experts from Savills, QUO, Group GSA, and Gamuda Land shared their professional insights on the strong growth of branded residences and luxury real estate in Vietnam in recent years. With Vietnam increasingly recognized as a more upscale destination, developers need to carefully consider many factors during project planning, including brand value, expected price appreciation, and the integration of luxurious interior design and wellness elements into the project.
Mr. Mauro stated, “Today’s buyers of branded residences are not simply seeking property ownership or choosing a brand; they desire a comprehensive lifestyle solution. To meet this demand, developers need to integrate wellness elements, sustainable design, and high-quality service, which are becoming essential standards in the luxury real estate segment. Projects that fail to meet these standards can affect customer trust and the branded residence product line.”
Investment Outlook
Vietnam's real estate and resort sector continues to attract strong interest, particularly from Asian investors and family offices. However, despite high demand, transaction volumes remain limited due to complex ownership structures or legal hurdles that prolong negotiations. Projects in prime locations in major cities with convenient transportation infrastructure remain the top priority for investors, thanks to their long-term appreciation potential and ability to generate stable cash flow.
MTE HCMC 2025 Conference. Source: WeHub
Throughout the real estate market discussion session, senior representatives from Savills Vietnam, Lodgis Hospitality, Ares Management, Indochina Capital, Kusto Home, SC Capital, and Group GSA provided in-depth insights into regional investment flows and discussed the crucial role of foreign investors in reshaping Vietnam's real estate and hotel market. The session emphasized that, to propel the market forward, strategic partnerships and regulatory improvements are necessary to ensure sustainable growth and strengthen investor confidence.
With the legal framework and key infrastructure projects gradually being completed (such as Long Thanh International Airport and the expansion of the metro system), experts at the MTE conference all have a positive view of the investment potential of Vietnam's real estate and resort market in the coming period.
