Vietnam emerges as top global tourism performer in 2025

In 2025, Vietnam experienced a remarkable tourism resurgence, greeting 21.2 million international visitors, a 19% increase from 2019. This growth, driven by updated visa policies and enhanced air connectivity, outpaced global tourism trends. Despite geopolitical risks, global arrivals reached 1.52 billion, with tourism receipts hitting a record US$1.9 trillion.

Vietnam emerged among a select group of destinations recording double-digit tourism growth in 2025, alongside Brazil (37%), Saudi Arabia (20%), and Japan (17%). The country welcomed nearly 21.2 million international visitors, exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 19% and firmly re-establishing its position among the world’s leading tourism recovery stories.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, this performance places Vietnam well ahead of the global average growth rate of 4% and the Asia-Pacific average of 6%. The strong results are attributed to more flexible visa policies, expanded international air connectivity, and increasingly targeted, modern tourism promotion strategies.

UN Tourism’s latest report shows that global international travel reached 1.52 billion arrivals in 2025. Despite ongoing inflationary pressures and geopolitical uncertainties, demand remained resilient throughout the year. International tourism receipts rose to an estimated US$1.9 trillion, while the total export value generated by tourism hit a record US$2.2 trillion.

Europe remained the world’s most visited region with 793 million arrivals, followed by Asia-Pacific with 331 million visitors, marking a 6% year-on-year increase. However, the region has recovered to just 91% of its 2019 volume. Within Asia, Northeast Asia led growth at 13%, while South Asia fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Looking ahead to 2026, UN Tourism forecasts global growth of 3-4%, supported by major international events such as the Winter Olympics in Italy and the FIFA World Cup in North America. At the same time, the organisation cautioned that geopolitical tensions, trade uncertainty, and extreme weather events could pose challenges to sustained industry momentum.