Vietnam achieved a record 21.2 million international arrivals in 2025, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Key markets included a 196.9 percent rise in Russian visitors. The growth, attributed to favorable visa policies and advanced AdTech strategies focusing on targeted marketing, positions Vietnam as a competitive destination for winter travel and high-value tourism.
Vietnam closed 2025 with a record 21.2 million international arrivals, exceeding its 2019 pre-pandemic peak by nearly 18 percent.
According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), this performance was underpinned by broad-based growth across multiple source markets. Arrivals from India rose by 48.9 percent, Cambodia by 44.8 percent, China by 41.3 percent, and Japan by 14.4 percent compared with 2024.
Russia emerged as the fastest-growing market. Vietnam welcomed 689,714 Russian visitors in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 196.9 percent, nearly tripling the 232,300 arrivals recorded in 2024 and surpassing the previous high of 646,500 set in 2019.
VNAT noted that Vietnam has increasingly positioned itself as a leading destination for package and charter tours in 2025, supported by favourable visa policies and an expanded international flight network. The rapid resumption of charter and package flights from Moscow and other major Russian cities to resort hubs such as Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc has been a key driver of this growth.
For Russian travellers, Vietnam is now viewed as a competitive alternative in the all-inclusive resort segment, offering year-round warm weather, family-friendly facilities, and attractive pricing. These advantages are reshaping winter travel preferences, gradually displacing traditional European destinations.
AdTech reshapes Vietnam’s tourism promotion
Industry experts also attribute the surge in arrivals to the growing role of advertising technology (AdTech) in transforming tourism promotion and attracting high-intent international travellers.
Nguyen Thi Diem Thu, an AdTech strategy and business development expert, said the tourism boom reflects a shift away from broad, seasonal marketing campaigns toward more targeted, data-driven approaches. By 2025, advanced AdTech infrastructure has enabled tourism stakeholders to focus on behavioural and contextual signals rather than traditional demographic targeting.
By identifying users actively searching for warm-weather winter destinations, long-stay resort packages, or wellness-focused travel, AdTech acts as a precise filtering tool. This behaviour-based targeting allows Vietnam’s tourism offerings to reach high-potential segments, such as families or wellness travellers seeking stays of 10 to 28 days, well before booking decisions are finalised.
Reaching travellers already inclined toward premium destinations such as Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Da Nang helps ensure that inbound visitors are better aligned with demand patterns and spending potential.
“Vietnam’s tourism policy has consistently emphasised the shift from volume-based growth to increasing value per visitor,” Thu said. “AdTech has become one of the most effective tools to support this strategy, enabling market diversification without inflating marketing budgets and optimising promotion based on traveller intent rather than nationality.”
Building on the momentum of 2025, she added that success in 2026 will depend on Vietnam’s ability to further reduce friction along the visitor journey, from digital payment interoperability to seamless online services, ensuring that global travel interest is translated into tangible economic value for the country.
Australian Hospitality Alumni Network Vietnam 