Vietnam welcomes over 12 million international visitors in seven months

August 07, 2025 | 17:10

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Vietnam recorded a historic influx of international tourists in the first seven months of 2025, welcoming more than 12.2 million foreign arrivals, up nearly 23 per cent on-year, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).

In July alone, the country received 1.56 million international visitors, marking a 7 per cent increase compared to June and a 36 per cent surge over the same period last year. Remarkably, this July's figure rivals the peak month of September 2019, considered a golden year for Vietnam's tourism sector.

Vietnam welcomes over 12 million international visitors in seven months

Despite July typically being part of the low travel season for international visitors, the strong performance reflects growing demand driven by favourable visa policies, enhanced tourism promotions, and various cultural events celebrating national holidays.

Air travel remained the dominant mode of entry, accounting for over 1.32 million arrivals in July. Land routes followed with more than 234,000 entries, while sea travel contributed a modest 2,500 visitors.

Mainland China retained its position as Vietnam's largest source market, with more than 391,000 arrivals in July, followed by South Korea with over 317,000 visitors. Other key markets included Japan, Taiwan, India, Russia, Australia, and the United States.

Russia recorded the strongest growth, with visitor numbers in July tripling compared to the same month in 2024. China and several EU markets benefiting from Vietnam's unilateral visa exemption policy, such as Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and the UK, also posted significant increases.

Visitors from Poland and Switzerland rose by 44.8 and 15.8 per cent, respectively, thanks to short-term visa waivers introduced under the 2025 tourism stimulus programme.

Meanwhile, Southeast Asian markets showed robust momentum. Notable growth included the Philippines (up 99.1 per cent), Cambodia (54.4 per cent), and Indonesia (12.2 per cent), with moderate gains from Malaysia (8.1 per cent), Singapore (8.1 per cent), and Thailand (7.1 per cent).

Australia and India, two of Vietnam's most promising long-haul markets, also maintained strong upward trends, growing by 15.1 and 42.5 per cent, respectively.

With the high season for international tourism typically beginning in September, industry observers are optimistic that 2025 could become another record-breaking year for Vietnam's tourism sector, provided that favourable policies and promotional efforts continue to align.