Western newspaper states the reason why Vietnam tourism is the fastest growing in Southeast Asia

More open visa policies, increased direct flights, and an influx of luxury hotels are some of the factors that have enhanced Vietnam's tourism image this year, according to Bloomberg.

Jang Hyun Woo (far left, Korean tourist) and his family "checked in" at Da Nang's Con Ga Church in 2024. Photo: Linh Huynh.

Effects from the series The White Lotus With the participation of Lisa from BlackPink, Thailand may become the center of attention of the global tourism industry this year.

However, in terms of Southeast Asia, Vietnam is showing strong growth, according to Bloomberg .

Vietnam is currently the third most visited country in Southeast Asia, with 17.5 million international visitors by 2024, surpassing Singapore. Malaysia is ahead with 25 million visitors. Thailand is in the top spot with 35 million visitors.

With the above number of visitors, the recovery rate of the S-shaped country reached 98% and is currently leading the Southeast Asia region, compared to the 2019 mark. Meanwhile, Thailand only recorded 87.5% and Singapore 86% in the same index.

Not to mention, Vietnam's popularity is also relatively positive in early 2025. According to the National Tourism Administration, nearly 4 million international visitors came to our country in the first 2 months of the year, an increase of 30.2% over the same period in 2024.

Explaining the growing appeal of Vietnam tourism, Bloomberg travel writer Lebawit Lily Girma said accessibility is paramount.

She cited Vietnam Airlines’ first direct flight between the US and Vietnam (San Francisco - Ho Chi Minh City) in 2021. Another example is the e-visa policy in 2023, which will ease the entry process for tourists and allow them to stay for up to 90 days (three times the previous limit).

The latest move is to extend visa exemption for 12 countries including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Russian Federation, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.

The next reason Lebawit Lily Girma mentioned is The arrival of top hotel brands such as Regent Phu Quoc, Capella Hanoi and JW Marriott Hotel & Suites Saigon.

A family of four Indian tourists enjoy themselves at Bui Vien (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) on Christmas 2024. Photo: Linh Huynh.

In addition, the Michelin Guide's expansion of the list to Da Nang in 2024 also gives visitors a more comprehensive view of Vietnam's culinary scene.

"All of this makes Vietnam increasingly attractive to luxury travelers who have visited Koh Samui or Phuket in Thailand, and even tourists looking for an escape from the crowds in Japan and Singapore," she wrote in an article published on March 25.

Mike Nguyen, founder of luxury travel company Ansova Travel, based in Ho Chi Minh City, said the three factors have boosted international bookings at his company by 25% year-on-year.

In 2025, the company expects to increase the number of bookings by 20-30%.

Notably, the travel writer of Bloomberg emphasized that high-spending Chinese tourists are also an important source of growth for Vietnam, in the context of Thailand being affected by the kidnapping of actor Wong Jing in Bangkok.

“There is no sign that Vietnam’s tourism growth will slow down,” Lebawit wrote.

By the end of 2025, the country plans to break the tourist record with 23 million international visitors.

The inauguration of Long Thanh International Airport in March 2026 could increase Vietnam’s tourist capacity to 25 million visitors. This shows that the destination has great ambitions, surpassing Malaysia. At that time, Thailand is Vietnam’s only remaining competitor in the market.

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