Cruise tourists flock to Vietnam

As Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector continues to sustain growth momentum, it is shifting strongly from post-merger recovery to development acceleration, with a focus on restructuring destination spaces to offer diverse tourism models and attract more domestic and international visitors.

Visit Vietnam Year – Hue 2025 has left a series of strong imprints, reflecting a marked transformation in Hue’s tourism in terms of scale, quality and brand positioning. More than a programme of events, it has become a powerful driver, helping position Hue as a competitive cultural and heritage tourism centre in the region.

With an estimated growth rate of 21% this year, Vietnam's tourism industry is now regarded by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation as one of the fastest-growing in the world.

The festival is a major tourism promotion initiative designed to honour, preserve and promote the values of traditional craft villages and trade streets, while highlighting the capital’s destinations and distinctive culinary heritage.

The influx of international visitors in 2025 offers a rare window of opportunity for Vietnam’s tourism sector. The pressing task now is to enhance service quality and diversify products so that visitors stay longer and generate higher economic value.

To preserve the village’s pristine beauty while ensuring a safe tourism environment, authorities in Lung Cu commune of Tuyen Quang province have implemented a synchronised series of measures.

Over the past three years, Hue tourism authorities have strengthened communication and advocacy for plastic waste reduction through 10 training sessions with 690 participants, “Coffee Talk” events, professional Zalo groups, and direct engagement with businesses. As a result, 102 enterprises and business households have signed commitments to reduce plastics, and 12 hotels have pioneered plastic-reduction practices.

Once a quiet fishing village, Mui Ne has transformed into one of Vietnam’s premier beach destinations while still retaining its rustic charm.

These events are expected to draw between 10,000 and 50,000 visitors, contributing to the northern province’s goal of developing identity-rich culture linked with heritage and night-time economic activities.​

Phu Quoc International Airport welcomed over 180 Indian travellers on a new direct flight from New Delhi on December 10, marking the start of a month-long flight series that will link the two destinations and bring a fresh wave of visitors to Vietnam’s pristine island.

Following its goal of building a friendly destination, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism is rolling out a range of local stimulus programmes, with a focus on bringing the city’s signature attractions closer to domestic and international visitors through digital platforms.

Developing waterway tourism is a new and potential direction for diversifying tourism products and enriching tourist experiences.

Central and local authorities are investing in dozens of infrastructure, urban, and tourism projects to boost development ahead of the event and elevate the island's stature on the global tourism map.

A UN Tourism report highlighted Vietnam’s performance as one of the most notable recoveries worldwide. While tourism across the Asia–Pacific has rebounded to only around 90% of pre-COVID levels, Vietnam is among a select group of destinations, alongside Japan, recording rapid and sustained growth, it said.

The Sun, which has one of the largest daily readerships in the UK, published a feature article dedicated to Phu Quoc. Alice Penwill, the author, noted that Phu Quoc remains relatively new on the global tourism map but is witnessing a remarkable and rapid rise in international visitor numbers.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), domestic travellers in the first 10 months reached an estimated 125 million, while international arrivals hit 17.2 million.

Patrice Caradec, President of the Syndicate of French Tour-Operators (SETO), said the country has not attracted as many French tourists since COVID-19. As Vietnam reopened later than several Asian destinations, pent-up demand has surged with the full recovery of tourism. The “S-shaped” nation has now returned to pre-pandemic levels of French arrivals.

The architectural and artistic relic of Dong Hoa Hiep was recognised as one of national significance by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in 2017.

According to the Saigontourist travel service company, about 75% of the 1,400 passengers disembarking chose tours in HCM City.

In December, the Hanoi tourism sector will focus on completing a project to reform the management, conservation and promotion of the Huong Son (Perfume Pagoda) Special National Relic Site; continue surveys on community-based, agricultural and night-time tourism offerings; and host the 2025 Hanoi Craft Village and Craft Street Cuisine and Tourism Festival. Preparations are also under way for participation in the National Green Tourism Forum in Lam Dong.