Hanoi, July 5, 2026 – The Europe Today: Vietnam’s tourism industry has emerged as one of the country’s key economic growth engines, recording unprecedented international visitor arrivals and tourism revenues following decades of sustained expansion, according to official data and government officials.
From a modest service sector in the early 1990s, Vietnam’s tourism industry has transformed into one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing tourism markets, reflecting the country’s deeper economic reforms, global integration and growing international appeal.
International visitor arrivals increased from relatively low levels in 1990 to around five million in 2010 before rising to nearly eight million in 2015. The sector received a significant boost after the Politburo adopted Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW in 2017, identifying tourism as a spearhead economic sector and promoting institutional reforms, investment and tourism product development.
Between 2015 and 2019, Vietnam ranked among the world’s fastest-growing tourism destinations, with international arrivals expanding at an average annual rate of 22 percent.
The domestic tourism market also experienced rapid growth, with the number of domestic trips increasing from around one million in 1990 to 28 million in 2010, 57 million in 2015 and approximately 85 million in 2019, providing a strong foundation for the industry’s long-term development.
The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily disrupted the sector, with international tourism suspended during 2020 and 2021 as Vietnam implemented strict public health measures. The country fully reopened its borders to international visitors in March 2022.
The recovery has since accelerated, supported by expanded visa facilitation, the restoration of international air connectivity and intensified tourism promotion campaigns. Vietnam welcomed approximately 17.6 million international visitors in 2024, equivalent to 98 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
In 2025, the country achieved a record 21.2 million international arrivals, representing growth of more than 20 percent compared with the previous year and surpassing the previous record set in 2019. Tourism revenue also exceeded VNĐ1 quadrillion (approximately US$38 billion) for the first time, marking a historic milestone for the sector.
Growth has continued into 2026, with nearly 10.7 million international visitors recorded during the first five months of the year, representing a year-on-year increase of 20.7 percent.
According to Vietnam’s National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance, the services and tourism sector expanded by 8.62 percent in 2025, contributing 51.08 percent of overall economic growth while accounting for 42.75 percent of the country’s economic structure.
Regional and international organizations have also recognized Vietnam’s tourism achievements. The ASEAN Secretariat reported that Vietnam recorded the highest growth rate in international visitor arrivals among Southeast Asian countries in 2025. With 21.2 million foreign visitors, the country ranked third in ASEAN, behind only Malaysia and Thailand, surpassing both Singapore and Indonesia.
The UN Tourism agency has also identified Vietnam as one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism destinations and the leading market in the Asia-Pacific region for the recovery and expansion of international arrivals.
According to figures presented by the Korea Tourism Organisation at the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026, Vietnam attracted nearly half of all South Korean tourists travelling to Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, travel technology and marketing company China Trading Desk reported that Vietnam has overtaken Thailand in attracting Chinese tourists, citing the country’s reputation as a safe destination, convenient transportation links and diverse tourism offerings.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hồ An Phong said tourism has become one of Vietnam’s new engines of economic growth but stressed that the sector remains vulnerable to natural disasters, disease outbreaks and external economic shocks.
He emphasized the importance of developing comprehensive growth strategies that include clear policy objectives and contingency plans while improving statistical methods to better measure tourism’s direct contribution to the economy and its broader impact across other sectors.
The Deputy Minister noted that Vietnam is increasingly focusing on the quality, efficiency and economic value generated by tourism rather than relying solely on visitor numbers, emphasizing that the industry plays a significant role in stimulating growth across multiple sectors of the national economy.
