Positive signs from the beginning of 2025 are showing a strong recovery and growing position of Vietnamese tourism on the international map. According to the latest data from the National Tourism Administration, the first four months of the year witnessed a remarkable change in the structure of the international tourist market. China has emerged as the largest market sending visitors to Vietnam with 1.95 million arrivals, accounting for 25.4% of the total number of visitors.
South Korea continues to be an important market, ranking second with 1.58 million visitors, equivalent to 20.6%. According to statistics for the first quarter of 2025, South Korea is also a market with stable growth momentum, with an increase of 2.2% over the same period last year, contributing significantly to the total number of international visitors to Vietnam.
The number of international visitors to Vietnam in April reached 1.65 million.
Other markets also recorded impressive numbers, with Taiwan in third place (440,000) and the US in fourth place (323,000).
This growth is no coincidence. The National Tourism Administration emphasizes that the open visa policy and favorable tourism conditions have helped Vietnam become a bright spot, attracting tourists from all over the world. Data from Google Destination Insights also reinforces this opinion when ranking Vietnam in the 7th position globally in terms of growth in international travel searches since the beginning of the year, with an increase ranging from 10% to 25%.
Since the beginning of the year, the total number of international visitors to Vietnam has reached 7.67 million - an increase of 23.8% over the same period last year.
Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Deputy General Director of a travel company, shared that his unit has recorded a remarkable growth of 30% in the number of Chinese visitors compared to the same period in 2024. Coastal destinations with high-end resorts such as Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc are especially popular, along with cultural and historical exploration tours in Hanoi and Hue.
Top 10 cities in Vietnam most searched by international tourists include: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Vung Tau, Da Lat, Phan Thiet, Hue
Many factors have contributed to Vietnam's attractiveness to Chinese tourists. Reasonable living costs and tourism services, beautiful beaches, rich culture and unique cuisine are key factors. In addition, favorable geographical location, especially tourist areas near border gates, also make it easy for Chinese tourists to travel to Vietnam by air, sea and road. CEO of AZA Travel, Mr. Nguyen Tien Dat, also pointed out the advantage of distance compared to other Southeast Asian countries, making Vietnam a priority choice after the pandemic when tourists tighten their spending and look for nearby and affordable beach destinations.
This is the result of the efforts of many effectively implemented tourism policies.
The pearl island of Phu Quoc is a clear testament to the strong recovery of Vietnam's tourism. According to the Department of Tourism of Kien Giang province, in the first quarter of 2025, Phu Quoc is estimated to have welcomed over 2 million visitors, an impressive increase of 66.5% over the same period, with total tourism revenue reaching over 10.5 billion VND. With these positive signals, Phu Quoc has every reason to expect to reach and exceed the target of welcoming 7 million visitors in 2025.
