Hanoi tourism thrives in early 2025

Right from early days of 2025, international visitors to Hanoi have witnessed impressive growth.

Visitors call on a craft village in Hanoi's suburbs. Photo: baodautu.vn

According to Hanoi Department of Tourism, despite this year’s New Year's holiday falling in the middle of the week, on this single day the city welcomed up to 160,000 visitors, a 17 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Of these, approximately 28,400 were foreign visitors, a 67 per cent surge, while domestic visitors numbered around 132,000, up by 10 per cent. Total revenue from tourism approximated $24.7 million, reflecting a 26 per cent jump on-year.

During the New Year's holiday of 2025, the average occupancy rate of 4-5 star hotels and serviced apartments reached approximately 80 per cent, with some units achieving 90-100 per cent occupancy.

By the end of 2025, Hanoi's tourism sector has set an ambitious target of welcoming over 30 million visitors, up 11 per cent on-year, including more than 7 million international visitors, with 5 million expected to stay overnight.

The total revenue from tourism is projected to exceed $5.4 million. Achieving this goal needs concentrated efforts and enhanced focus across the entire sector.

To meet these growth expectations, Hanoi Department of Tourism has identified six key tasks for 2025.

Central to these tasks is reassessing target markets, intensifying promotions in traditional international markets such as Northeast Asia, ASEAN, and the EU, while expanding reach into new potential markets like India, Eastern Europe, and Muslim countries.

Furthermore, Hanoi plans to introduce more unique tourism products, such as cultural tours combined with night tourism, wellness, culinary, and river tourism, all aimed at refreshing the visitor experience.

The city will also strengthen connections with other localities to form inter-regional tourism routes.

According to Dang Huong Giang, director of Hanoi Department of Tourism, the sector’s prime goal for 2025 is not only luring a large number of visitors but also putting focus on high-quality visitors with a significant spending power and extended stays.

“Tourism development plans in the capital will be closely aligned with Hanoi's general planning for 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050,” said Giang.

From a business perspective, Nguyen Cong Hoan, general director of Flamingo Redtours, offered several proposals to enhance Hanoi's tourism competitiveness.

Hoan noted that while the premium tourism segment has seen focused development, the number of resorts and hotels in Hanoi still falls short of demand, especially during peak seasons, leading to higher prices and reduced appeal to tourists.

Hw suggested that Hanoi should intensify investments in lodging infrastructure, developing large-scale facilities to boost competitiveness. Nighttime entertainment activities also need to be upgraded to retain tourists and encourage higher spending.

Regarding MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) tourism, Hoan recommended a long-term cultural and entertainment industry plan to foster annual music, sports, and entertainment events, making it easier for tourists to plan their participation.

Giang from Hanoi Department of Tourism emphasised that the Department would propose and consult relevant authorities to join major international tourism fairs, collaborate with airlines to welcome Fam trips from India, and organise roadshows encouraging Hanoi's tourism in Muslim countries and Eastern Europe.

These efforts will be integrated with international events and the city’s promotion initiatives to elevate Hanoi’s image worldwide.

“Hanoi Department of Tourism has proactively developed domestic and international promotions from the beginning of the year, focusing on targeted and strategic investments to build a high-quality destination,” Giang said.

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