Vietnam breaks records in international tourism—Is it time to book your trip?

Is Vietnam the new Southeast Asian tourism titan? Bold plans revealed

Vietnam aims to draw as many as 23 million international tourists this year, a goal that would surpass pre-pandemic levels, according to a statement on the government website.

Vietnam is known for its scenic beauty featuring 3,000 kilometres of pristine tropical coastline. It has some of the best beaches in the world and most of them aren't crowded with tourists.(Unsplash)

BMI Research expects the country’s tourism industry to fully recover in 2025, it said in a report.

Vietnam is targeting a 31% jump in foreign travellers this year from 2024, and about 5 million more than the 18 million arrivals in 2019.

Visitors from India reached 501,000 in 2024. In the last two years, Indian tourists to Vietnam rose 2.6 times, making it “one of the most impressive growth markets” for Vietnam, according to the government statement.

The number of international visitors to Vietnam reached 17.5 million last year, up 39.5% from 2023, according to the statement. Visitors from within Asia accounted for about 80% of international travelers.

The government said in June that it aims to make tourism one of the key industries to boost the country’s economic growth.

Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for about 12% of the nation’s gross domestic product, according to a separate June statement, which cited a VinaCapital Group Ltd. report. International tourism represented 8% of the GDP.

The government’s aim to reach 70 million international arrivals by 2045 “could propel the country into becoming the second-biggest tourism destination in Southeast Asia after Thailand,” according to Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Tim Bacchus and Eric Zhu.