Back in April, we ran a feature on how Vietnam could be the next hub for luxury travel in Southeast Asia.
At the time, the country was being touted as the regional comeback kid, the country whose tourism sector had recovered significantly post-pandemic.
Now, four months later, the country is set to stage ITE-Ho Chi Minh City 2026, again casting the spotlight on its increasingly vibrant tourism sector.
In which case, how is Vietnam changing the game and, more importantly, can it surpass its regional neighbours in terms of tourism?
The current situation
Back in January, the Vietnamese government reported that the country’s tourism sector recorded the highest growth in international tourist arrivals in Southeast Asia.
As of end-2025, the Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) declared that numbers were up 20.4 percent year on year, significantly outpacing Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.
Likewise, UN Tourism ranked Vietnam among the fastest-growing markets in Asia-Pacific. With this said, while Thailand and Malaysia still record higher total visitor volume, Vietnam's aggressive infrastructure push especially for air travel, strategic visa overhauls, and diverse cultural and natural landscape make it a formidable contender for the top spot.
What’s holding Vietnamese tourism back?
Admittedly, while Vietnam continues to rise thanks to the emergence of new potential growth sectors like Da Nang and Phu Quoc, there are still challenges to deal with before it gets into a proper groove, so to speak.
For one thing, it has to step up its game when it comes to tourism marketing and hospitality.
Also, too much progress at too rapid a rate could compromise the country’s most sensitive ecological and cultural zones due to the threat of environmental degradation and overcrowding at growth sites.
What’s working in Vietnam’s favour
To date, Vietnam’s expansion of e-visas to 90-day multi-entry stays and broadening unilateral visa exemptions significantly lowered travel friction over the past year.
At the same time, major infrastructure initiatives like those for improving the country’s airports have gone a long way in improving domestic as well as international connectivity.
Finally, Vietnam is opening its doors to the high-quality travel sector as it veers away from cookie-cutter tourism.
Indeed, the country is scaling up investments in eco-tourism, luxury resorts, as well as cultural preservation to bring in travellers from around the globe.
