According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam received 1.5 million foreign visitors in September 2025. Although this figure represents a 9.6% decrease compared to August, it is still up 19.5% from the same period last year.

In total, more than 15.4 million international tourists arrived in Vietnam between January and September, marking a robust recovery for the tourism industry.

Favorable visa policies, aggressive tourism promotions, and vibrant cultural events celebrating national holidays have played key roles in attracting visitors.

Significantly, European visitors showed the strongest growth. Nearly 1.91 million arrivals from Europe were recorded in the first three quarters, a jump of 34.9% from the previous year. Asia remained Vietnam’s largest market with 12.24 million arrivals (up 20.9%), followed by Oceania with 445,000 (up 13.7%) and the Americas with about 800,000 (up 8.5%).

In the third quarter alone, Vietnam welcomed 568,370 European tourists, up 38% from the previous quarter and an impressive 60.1% higher than the same period in 2024.

Growth was recorded across almost all major European markets: Russia rose by over 245%, Poland by 55%, the Netherlands 35.1%, Switzerland 32.9%, the Czech Republic 32.6%, France 32.3%, Belgium 30.6%, the UK 29.2%, and Germany 23.9%. Other European markets saw a combined increase of 63.4%.

According to the General Statistics Office, the strongest-performing countries were those recently granted visa exemptions from August 15, 2025 - including Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland - with a stay period of up to 45 days. Western European nations that had long enjoyed visa waivers also continued to post strong growth.

Government-backed marketing campaigns and destination promotions have further bolstered Vietnam’s global image.

To achieve the ambitious goal of 25 million foreign visitors in 2025, as set by the Government’s Resolution No. 5, the tourism industry needs to attract an additional 9.6 million tourists by year’s end - equivalent to about 3.2 million per month.

Pham Ha, Chairman of Lux Group, said attracting international visitors requires expanded visa exemptions and incentive programs such as complimentary domestic flights or hotel stays. “These measures could create breakthroughs in attracting large-source markets like India and China,” he suggested.

He noted that even if Vietnam falls short of the 25-million target, a 30% increase in tourism revenue would still be a strong outcome for the industry.

To achieve sustainable growth, Ha emphasized the importance of targeting high-spending travelers. “Typically, luxury tourists account for around 5% and high-end visitors about 10% of total arrivals,” he explained. “We need strategic products and marketing approaches tailored to affluent travelers - so that they’re willing to spend to the very last dollar before leaving Vietnam.”

Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Ha Van Sieu, urged travel businesses to accelerate digital transformation and online sales, open more direct international routes in partnership with airlines, and develop charter flights from emerging markets such as India, Russia, Australia, and the United States.

Ngoc Ha