In addition to traditional markets, Vietnam's tourism sector is witnessing an expansion to new markets, particularly in Central Asia, Mongolia, and the Middle East.

To achieve a GDP growth rate of over eight percent this year, the tourism sector was tasked with welcoming 22 to 23 million international visitors, up four to five million, or some 20 percent over 2024.

To obtain this goal, the tourism sector needs to adopt strategies that align with the current market context and new trends.

The European market continues to be regarded as a source of high-quality tourists with significant spending power and long stays. 

According to data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the Southeast Asian country welcomed 2.2 million tourists from Europe in 2024, lower than the pre-pandemic levels of 2.5-3 million. 

Among them, travelers from the UK, France, Germany, Russia, and Nordic countries made up a large proportion. This group also tends to stay longer, on average of 10 to 14 days, and spends much more than visitors from other markets.

However, compared to neighboring countries like Thailand or Indonesia, Vietnam has not yet proven to be particularly attractive to European tourists.

The main reasons are limited direct flight routes, uncompetitive visa policies, and a lack of promotion strategies that cater to the tastes of this group.

Vietnam needs to invest heavily in human resources, especially a team of tour guides proficient in rare languages such as German, French, and Italian. 

Vietnam was once strong in the German market but currently faces a shortage of young tour guides fluent in German, as most of the existing guides are older.

Without training policies in place, Vietnam could lose this market in just five years.

As for new markets such as Central Asia, Mongolia, and the Middle East, the number of visitors from these markets is still modest, but they will be key source markets during the winter season.

Vietnam has recently welcomed visitors from Kyrgyzstan, a positive sign for this year.

Therefore, adding more direct flight routes in the winter will help Vietnam become an ideal destination for tourists from such countries as it boasts beautiful beaches like Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Da Nang.

Another promising plan is attracting luxury tourists from the Middle East, who have high spending power.

However, Vietnam should invest in international-standard hotels and restaurants, meeting the demands for high-end cuisine and other services.

Vietnam can learn from famous destinations like Dubai or the Maldives about serving luxury tourists, while also needing a specific promotion strategy to reach this group.

In terms of cruise tourism, which brings in massive revenue, as each large cruise ship can carry 3,000-5,000 passengers, Vietnam still lacks policies to have its seaports welcome such cruise ships.

Although large enterprises have approached international cruise line companies, a national strategy and dedicated promotion programs are needed to make Vietnam a regular destination for major cruise lines.

As the South Korean market has shown signs of stangnance due to its economic and political instability, the Chinese market is expected to recover strongly. More tourists from Russia are also expected to return to Vietnam soon.

As a result, Vietnam's tourism will undergo significant changes in 2025.

Investing in infrastructure, human resources, and intensive promotion policies will be the keys for Vietnam to compete and break through in the region.

Vietnam welcomed nearly 2.1 million international visitors in January, marking the highest-ever monthly number of foreign arrivals, according to data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

China regained its position as Vietnam’s biggest tourist source market, sending 575,000 visitors to the latter in January and accounting for 27.7 percent of the total foreign arrivals.

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