Foreigners stroll around Hanoi Old Quarter (Photo: VNA)

October alone drew 1.73 million foreign visitors, a 13.8% jump from September and a rise of 22.1% year-on-year.

During the 10-month period, air arrivals dominated at 14.6 million, or 84.9% of the total, up 21.8%. Land entries rose 21.4% to 2.4 million (13.9%), while sea arrivals climbed 8.5% to 205,100 (1.2%).

Asia contributed 13.6 million arrivals, up 21%, with 4.3 million from China (25.2%) and 3.6 million from the Republic of Korea (21%) leading the pack.

Demand from Southeast Asia also showed strong momentum. Arrivals from Cambodia rose 50.3%, the Philippines surged 89.1%, while Malaysia saw a 15.8% hike, Singapore 13%, Indonesia 12.9% and Thailand 10.1%. Beyond the region, arrivals from India rose 45.7% and from Australia went up 13.1%. Notably, Russian arrivals surged 182.2%, the highest growth rate among all markets.

Europe led regional gains with a 34.9% surge to over 2.1 million, fueled by visa easing and aggressive marketing.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s National Statistics Office, revenue from accommodation and food services hit an estimated 695.1 trillion VND (26.73 billion USD) during the period, or 12% of the total retail sales and consumption service revenue, up 14.6% from a year earlier. Standout included Ho Chi Minh City (18.1%), Da Nang (16.1%), Can Tho (12.8%), Ha Noi (12.2%) and Hai Phong (11.8%).

Tourism and travel services generated 77.4 trillion VND, up 19.8% year-on-year and representing 1.4% of the total, with Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi, Quang Ninh, Vinh Long and Hue driving growth.

The sector targeted 22-23 million foreign arrivals for 2025, but the Government in August raised the bar to at least 25 million.

Speaking at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s third-quarter briefing, VNAT Deputy Director Pham Van Thuy highlighted key future priorities, including more distinctive tourism products aligned with new travel trends, service chain linkages across tours, transportation, accommodation, dining and shopping; and ramped-up domestic and international marketing efforts. He also called for eased visa policies and digital promotion tools to expand Viet Nam’s global reach.

Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Viet Nam Tourism Association, outlined two pillars: accelerated digital campaigns in core and emerging markets, plus hands-on outreach - familiarisation trips and product showcases, to lock in international operator commitments for 2025 and beyond.