Vietnam Welcomes Record-Breaking 6 Million International Tourists in Q1 2025

Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Vietnam’s tourism industry has achieved a major milestone in its post-pandemic recovery, welcoming a record 6.018 million international visitors in the first quarter of 2025 — the highest number of foreign arrivals in a single quarter in the country’s history.

According to the Q1 socio-economic report released by the General Statistics Office on Sunday, this figure represents a 29.6 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. March alone recorded over 2.05 million international arrivals, up 28.5 per cent year-over-year.

The surge in arrivals is attributed to the government’s favourable visa policies, vigorous global tourism promotion campaigns, and Việt Nam’s growing recognition through numerous international tourism awards.

Asia continues to be the primary source market, contributing 4.71 million visitors — more than 78 per cent of the total. Leading the way are South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Japan, bolstered by the resumption and expansion of direct flights and streamlined visa procedures.

European arrivals reached 791,900, while the Americas contributed 341,500 tourists. Australia and the Pacific region brought in 160,100 visitors, and African countries accounted for 12,300 arrivals during the first quarter.

Russian tourist arrivals saw a remarkable 210 per cent increase, particularly in popular southern coastal destinations such as Khánh Hòa, Bình Thuận, and Phú Quốc Island, known for their warm climate and well-established tourism infrastructure. Notable growth was also recorded among visitors from Cambodia (205 per cent), the Philippines (195 per cent), and China (178 per cent).

Air travel remained the dominant mode of entry, with 5.2 million arrivals (86.4 per cent), reflecting a 34 per cent rise year-over-year. Land border entries totaled 685,500 (11.4 per cent), a 9.6 per cent increase, while sea arrivals stood at 133,000 (2.2 per cent), registering a slight 2.7 per cent decline.

Tourism revenue reached VNĐ21.5 trillion (US$833.1 million) in Q1, marking an 18.3 per cent year-on-year growth. Hanoi led in tourism revenue growth with a 23.5 per cent increase, followed by Đà Nẵng (22.1 per cent) and Quảng Ninh (20.9 per cent).

The accommodation and food service sector also saw robust expansion, earning VNĐ200.1 trillion (approximately US$7.7 billion), up 14 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. The highest growth in this sector was recorded in Quảng Ninh (20.1 per cent), Đà Nẵng (16.7 per cent), and Hanoi (14.9 per cent).

With these promising results, Vietnam continues to solidify its position as a leading international tourism destination. The strong performance in Q1 lays a firm foundation for the country’s tourism sector to achieve its ambitious target of welcoming 22–23 million international visitors by the end of 2025.