Vietnam Hits 10.7 Million Visitors in the First Six Months of 2025 as New Visa-Free Scheme Boosts Tourism Recovery, But 23 Million Target a Challenge
Vietnam’s travel industry sees a strong rebound in 2025, attracting more than 10.7 million overseas visitors during the first half of the year alone, a 26% rise over the same half year of pre-pandemic 2019. That growth bodes well for rising international demand for Vietnam’s varied travel offerings, yet the country still has a long way to go to hit its aggressive 23 million visitor target for the year, as pressures linger over high prices, uneven service, and intense rival competition from fellow Asian tourism giants.
Sound Base Anchored by Policy Reforms and Promotional Effort
Vietnam started the year strongly. January welcomed almost 2.1 million international visitors, surpassing January 2019 by 40%. By March, tourist numbers for the month exceeded 2 million, again validating Vietnam’s popularity across markets.
It owes much of the recent momentum to the astute intervention of the Government, notably through loosening visa controls and executing aggressive marketing campaigns. These joint initiatives have reinforced the image of Vietnam as an open, cheap, and culturally sophisticated destination.
New Visa-Free Scheme Drives Growth
A cornerstone of Vietnam’s tourism rebound has been its expanded visa-free access, launched in March 2025. The Vietnamese government introduced visa waivers for travelers from Poland, Czechia, and Switzerland for stays of up to 45 days, provided they travel via package tours. This move followed growing pressure to remain competitive in Southeast Asia’s fast-evolving travel market.
Also, visa free entry for visitors of 12 previously exempted countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and others were retained until 2028, continuing to maintain repeat arrivals of high-spending European and East Asian visitors.
Industry experts view this broadened access as a critical policy shift, one that aligns Vietnam with regional leaders like Thailand and Malaysia in reducing travel friction and attracting long-haul travelers.
Infrastructure Spreads to Meet Demand
Alongside regulatory reforms, Vietnam is actively scaling up its tourism infrastructure to support growing demand. The first half of 2025 saw several new resorts, amusement parks, and hotels open across the country:
- Sun World Ha Nam Water Park – a family-oriented attraction near Hanoi
- VinWonders Vu Yen – Vingroup’s latest mega-theme park in Hai Phong
- Lamori Thanh Hoa Resort – a resort of luxury with eco-tourism appeal
- Radisson Red Hotel Da Nang – introducing international hotel standards to central Vietnam’s coast
They aim to diversify Vietnam’s appeal beyond the standard beach and city trips, as well as to meet the increasing demands of international visitors for international-level facilities.
Regional Rivalries Escal
Yet despite strong growth and infrastructure investments, Vietnam faces intensifying regional competition. Countries like Thailand and China are actively evolving their own strategies to dominate Asia’s tourism market.
Thailand has broadened its visa-free access and introduced long-term digital nomad and retiree visa schemes, appealing to both short-term and lifestyle-based travelers. China, meanwhile, resumed outbound group tours and mutual visa waivers, regaining ground in traditional source markets.
These changes are re-directing tourist flows in the region, specifically from higher-spending markets of Europe, Australia, and Eastern Asia which are the same Vietnam targets.
Persistent Service Quality Gaps
Another major challenge to Vietnam’s tourism expansion is the inconsistency of service provision, notably away from its major cities. Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang have a variety of luxury hotels and upgraded facilities, yet secondary cities and rural towns lack adequately trained staff and upgraded accommodation.
Poor service delivery and aging infrastructure in some destinations may deter high-spending tourists looking for seamless, luxury experiences. Stakeholders emphasize that unless service quality is addressed uniformly across regions, Vietnam risks losing out on valuable repeat visitors.
Skyrocketing Air Tickets Dampen Travel Sp
Accompanying these issues is the sudden surge in domestic flight prices during peak periods. In-demand routes experienced increases of as much as 45% over last year, stretching budgets both for foreigners and local holidaymakers.
For example:
- Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc: round-trip fares ranged from VND 5–6 million
- Hanoi to Da Nang: fares between VND 3.5–4.5 million
These higher prices deter multi-stop domestic travel, shortening the total duration and economic significance of international tours. Rival tourist destinations such as Malaysia and Indonesia, which have lower air prices, are likely to gain from Vietnam’s price barrier.
Industry Executives Demand Broad-Based Reforms
Tourism professionals are calling for broader strategic measures to sustain momentum. Vu The Binh, President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, recommends establishing Vietnamese tourism promotion centers in key international markets such as Japan, Australia, and the U.S. These centers would serve as hubs for real-time marketing, business matchmaking, and localized engagement.
Besides, industry sentiment advocates the visa-free entry to continue expanding to include the countries of Latin America, North America, the Middle East, as well as Oceania, and enable Vietnam to penetrate new emerging as well as untapped markets.
The Road Ahead: Transforming Momentum into Milestone
Vietnam’s tourism revival is undeniably impressive, but reaching the 23 million visitor goal by the end of 2025 will depend on timely and strategic actions to counter persistent headwinds.
Main recommendations are:
- Upgrading service delivery and personnel expertise in non-urban regions
- Addressing domestic airfare inflation through regulatory oversight or competition
- Focused marketing initiatives for high-potential and new markets
Vietnam surpassed 10.7 million international visitors in the first half of 2025, thanks to expanded visa-free policies and strong tourism promotion. However, reaching the 23 million annual target remains challenging due to soaring airfares, service gaps, and intense regional competition.
Simplifying further visa entry to competing programs in Thailand, China, and elsewhere If Vietnam manages to keep progressing at speed, it stands a good chance of not just achieving its 2025 target, but becoming a top destination in Southeast Asia for the long term
Tags: million international arrivals, Vietnam’s travel industry, a new visa-free program, Vietnam’s tourism
