Vietnam Tourism Market

Vietnam Tourism Market Size, Market Forecast and Outlook By FMI

The Vietnam tourism market was valued at USD 25.7 billion in 2025 and is forecast to be valued at USD 79.6 billion by 2035. The market is likely to expand at a 12.1% CAGR during the assessment period. Domestic tourism is anticipated to lead with a 64% share in 2025. Custom travel experiences are projected to account for 66% of tourism activity in 2025.

Summary of the Vietnam Tourism Market

• Demand and Growth Drivers
  • Immersive travel demand is increasing interest in local culture and heritage routes.
  • Slow travel is helping visitors spend more time in rural destinations.
  • Regenerative tourism is raising demand for community-based travel experiences.
• Product and Segment View
  • Cultural immersion leads as travelers seek hands-on local experiences.
  • Eco-tours gain from demand for low-impact nature travel.
  • Custom travel formats are growing as visitors prefer flexible itineraries.
• Geography and Competitive Outlook
  • Northern Vietnam gains from hill tribe treks and mountain wellness stays.
  • Central Vietnam benefits from heritage towns and culinary tourism routes.
  • Southern Vietnam shows opportunity through Mekong Delta and island-based experiences.
• Analyst Opinion
  • Ronak Shah, Senior Analyst at FMI, suggests “The Vietnam tourism market is moving toward immersive travel built around culture and local participation. Operators with strong community links and flexible itinerary design are likely to gain advantage as travelers seek meaningful journeys beyond standard sightseeing.”
• Vietnam Tourism Market Value Analysis
  • The Vietnam tourism market is moving from packaged tours into immersive cultural travel.
  • Visitor demand is likely to grow as local experiences become central to trip planning.
  • Tour uptake is improving through eco-travel and custom itinerary formats.
  • Investment is set to favor community operators and low-impact destination development.

Market Overview

Attribute	Value
Estimated Vietnam Industry Size (2025E)	USD 25.7 billion
Projected Vietnam Value (2035F)	USD 79.6 billion
Value-based CAGR (2025 to 2035)	12.1%

Semi-Annual Market Update for the Vietnam Tourism Market

CAGR Values for Vietnam Tourism Market 2024 to 2025:

Vietnam recorded a CAGR of 11.4% in the first half of 2024, which rose to 11.8% by year’s end. In 2025, analysts project a 12.1% growth rate, fueled by a rise in culinary pilgrimages, ethnic minority immersion tours, and long-stay workcation packages in cities like Da Lat and Hoi An.

Footprint of the Vietnam Tourism Industry (2025)

Category	Details
Market Value	USD 23.5 billion in 2025
Domestic Market Share	64%; popular trips include Northern hill tribe treks, Central Highlands coffee farm stays, and Red River Delta temple festivals
International Market Share	36%; top arrivals from China, South Korea, the USA, and Australia
Key Destinations	Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Ha Long Bay, Sapa , Da Nang
Economic Impact	Tourism supports over 3.1 million jobs, benefiting craft cooperatives, local transport, food vendors, and indigenous-run eco-lodges
Key Trends	Growth in wellness retreats, agro-tourism, and heritage revivals in post-conflict provinces
Top Travel Seasons	March-April and October-December; shoulder months like May and November see increased popularity among long-stay visitors and slow travelers

In 2025, Vietnam’s tourism market revenues reached USD 23.5 billion, invigorating local economies in remote regions and urban areas. It accounted for 64% of the market segment, with demand high for ethnic markets in Sapa, organic collections in Da Lat and spiritual pilgrimages to Yen Tu. International tourists-predominantly from China, Korea and the USA-flocked to cultural centers like Hoi An, and eco-adventure in Pu Luong.

Operators emphasized sustainability-from plastic-free boat rides in Hue’s Perfume River to mangrove replanting in Ca Mau. While March and late autumn remained peak seasons, shoulder periods increasingly attracted digital nomads and retirees seeking authentic, crowd-free exploration.

Recent Developments

Date	Development & Details
Jan 2025	Phu Quoc Launches “Seaweed Farming & Cooking Tours”: Guests learn traditional drying and seaweed broth making alongside Cham villagers.
Dec 2024	Hanoi Introduces “Lacquer & Lantern Walks”: Tourists visit alleyway workshops to create lacquer miniatures and silk lanterns with artisans.
Nov 2024	Central Highlands Debuts “Tribal Tea Ceremonies”: Ethnic Co Tu elders guide visitors through forest foraging and moonlit tea rituals.
Oct 2024	Sapa Offers “Mountain Medicine Trails”: Red Dao herbalists teach root-identification hikes and steam bath traditions.
Sept 2024	Hue Rolls Out “Imperial Cuisine Revival Classes”: Guests learn royal recipes once served in the Nguyen dynasty courts.

An Analysis of Vietnam Tourism Categories by Activity Type and Tour Type

Cultural Immersion and Eco-Tours Dominate

By 2025, more than 47%of Vietnam’s tourism activity will be driven by cultural immersion and eco-tourism, a seismic turn in the way travelers engage with the country. All over Vietnam, tourism operators are focusing on depth over surface, offering authentic experiences that get travelers under the skin of the destination.

In the mountainous region of the province of Ha Giang, Hmong-led trekking collectives have transformed the notion of homestays. Launched in 2021, these weeklong excursions invite visitors to stay with host families, learn how to dye hemp fibers with natural indigo, weave intricate fabrics and gather to share ancestral stories around crackling wood fires, giving travelers a front-row seat to generations-old customs.

In Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site celebrated for its backstreets lit with lanterns, local elders now hold hands-on cooking classes exploring regional recipes viewed as local specialties reserved for Tet fetes. These retired chefs, who once worked at elaborate family banquets during Vietnam’s most important holiday, walk guests through the preparation of traditional dishes including caolầu and bánhtét, stacking each recipe with personal narratives and cultural context.

Sapa’s tribal guides, meanwhile, lead visitors on nature walks through herbal trails, identifying the forest roots used in healing teas and balms. Rather than just observing nature, travelers interact with it and, as a result, learn how local health practices are sustained by indigenous knowledge systems.

In the Mekong Delta, sampan tours have evolved beyond passive cruising. Travelers now dock at family-run rice noodle workshops, grind rice by hand, and join storytelling circles about seasonal floods and Khmer culinary influences. These tactile, emotionally rich interactions are replacing traditional tourism checklists.

Vietnam’s new tourism landscape focuses on shared knowledge, lived experience, and cultural respect. Travelers don’t just observe—they participate, learn, and connect. As this model gains momentum, Vietnam positions itself as a global leader in ethical, experience-centered travel.

Custom Travel Experiences Take the Lead

Custom and tailor-made travel will account for 66% of tourism activity in Vietnam by 2025 and this is a paradigm shift in traveler expectations. Today’s travelers want choice, intimacy and emotional connection, and Vietnam’s operators are stepping up to deliver, with bespoke offerings grounded in authenticity.

In Ho Chi Minh City, solo travelers are now reserving personalized pho-making sessions with market vendors who’ve been handed down century-old recipes. These vendors, many of whom can trace their techniques to the French colonial era, invite you into their kitchens and walk you through each step, from spice selection to noodle prep, making the experience as rewarding as the dish.

In Da Nang, couples skip typical beach packages for guided dawn paddleboard tours through mangrove estuaries. But these tours, led by environmentalists and local conservationists, are both nature exploring and ecological education. Visitors witness the estuary come alive at sunrise, as they learn about the fragile ecosystems that are the foundation of the area’s biodiversity.

In NinhThuan, chic artisans welcome visitors to their villages through private cultural tours. Guests do silk weaving, attempt to make traditional water drums and do folk music performances, not as spectators but as peers. These instances cultivate authentic cultural exchange and shatter the divide between host and guest.

Vietnam has also emerged as a center for holistic wellness retreats. In Sapa, Dao healers invite guests to herbal sauna ceremonies with forest-foraged botanicals. On Cat Ba Island, Vietnamese shamans now conduct tiny movement therapy and breathwork sessions that aim to facilitate both physical and spiritual renewal.

This tourism model, focusing on autonomy, personal development and travel peacefully, is what Vietnam’s tourism platform has received in return. Instead of mass-market products, travelers find journeys that have meaning and purpose that tell a story aligned with their personal values. The result is a tourism experience in which every detail counts - and every moment sings.

Competitive Landscape

Vietnam’s tourism industry is a blend of veteran tour operators, social enterprises, and minority-run experiences. Traditional giants like Saigontourist remain influential, but niche players are gaining ground.

Ethnic Travel, for example, specializes in minority-led treks and homestays in the north. Vietcetera Experiences offers editorial-style city guides paired with chef-led tastings in Ho Chi Minh. Sustainable Vietnam, a grassroots platform, curates carbon-neutral tours in offbeat locales like QuangBinh and Bac Lieu.

Luxury brands like Amanoi now integrate rewilding programs and meditation rituals led by monks, while startups such as EverViet connect travelers with local farmers, artisans, and herbalists for highly personal itineraries.

2025 Market Share of Vietnam Tourism Players

Leading operators in the Vietnam tourism sector include:

• Ethnic Travel (minority-led eco-tourism in northern highlands)
• Vietcetera Experiences (urban culture and culinary storytelling)
• Sustainable Vietnam (carbon-neutral, regenerative travel)
• Amanoi (luxury wellness integrated with Vietnamese spirituality)
• EverViet (farm-to-table and artisanal experience booking)

Key Segmentation

By Activity Type:

Cultural Immersion, Eco-Adventures, Culinary Tourism, Wellness Retreats, Heritage Tours

By Age Group:

Under 20, 20-30, 30-40, 4-50, Over 50

By Demography:

Men, Women

By Tourism Type:

Domestic, International

By Tour Type:

Individual, Group