Vietnam isn't just back on the travel map—it's exploding with a record-breaking 12.6 million international visitors in 2023, a staggering 244% surge that signals a powerful tourism revival.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Vietnam welcomed 12.6 million international visitors, a 244.2% surge from 2022
- Vietnam's international tourist arrivals reached 8.8 million in the first half of 2023, up 112% year-on-year
- South Korea topped as Vietnam's largest source market with 2.1 million visitors in 2023, accounting for 16.7% of total arrivals
- International tourists spent $8.7 billion in Vietnam in 2023, up 344% from 2022
- Average spending per international tourist was $692 in 2023
- Domestic tourism expenditure reached VND 546 trillion ($22.7 billion) in 2023
- Vietnam's hotels numbered 32,000 establishments with 678,000 rooms in 2023
- Occupancy rate of 3-5 star hotels reached 74.6% in 2023
- Hanoi had 22,000 hotel rooms with 65% occupancy in Q4 2023
- Vietnam's international airports handled 55 million passengers in 2023
- Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi) saw 25 million passengers, 90% recovery
- Tan Son Nhat (HCMC) processed 38 million passengers in 2023
- Hoi An had 28 UNESCO World Heritage sites visited by 5 million tourists in 2023
- Halong Bay welcomed 6.8 million visitors, generating $250 million
- Sapa terraced fields drew 3.5 million tourists in 2023
Vietnam's international tourism surged dramatically in 2023, nearing its pre-pandemic peak.
Accommodation
- Vietnam's hotels numbered 32,000 establishments with 678,000 rooms in 2023
- Occupancy rate of 3-5 star hotels reached 74.6% in 2023
- Hanoi had 22,000 hotel rooms with 65% occupancy in Q4 2023
- Ho Chi Minh City boasted 45,000 rooms, 70% occupancy rate in 2023
- Da Nang's 18,000 hotel rooms saw 80% occupancy in peak season 2023
- Phu Quoc's room capacity grew 25% to 35,000 rooms in 2023
- 5-star hotels in Vietnam increased by 15% to 180 properties in 2023
- Average room rate (ARR) for upscale hotels was $120/night in 2023
- Homestays numbered over 10,000, hosting 20% of domestic tourists
- Resort developments in coastal areas added 12,000 rooms in 2023
- Hanoi Old Quarter hotels had 85% occupancy during Tet 2024
- Halong Bay area accommodations reached 1,500 properties
- Nha Trang's 15,000 rooms saw 75% occupancy
- Sapa hill station hotels grew 20% in capacity to 8,000 rooms
- Hoi An had 2,500 heritage homestays and hotels
- Online booking platforms captured 60% of hotel reservations in 2023
- Airbnb listings in Vietnam exceeded 50,000 in major cities
- Luxury resorts like InterContinental Phu Quoc had 95% occupancy
- Budget hotels under $50/night comprised 40% of supply
- RevPAR for 4-5 star hotels rose 28% to $85 in 2023
- New hotel openings totaled 120 properties adding 15,000 rooms in 2023
- Green-certified hotels increased to 150 in 2023
- Family-friendly accommodations grew 18%
- Boutique hotels numbered 500, popular with Europeans
- Conference hotels hosted 1,200 events with 300,000 delegates
Accommodation Interpretation
Vietnam’s tourism industry is putting on quite the show, with luxury resorts practically selling out while budget hotels keep the stage accessible, homestays charm the locals, and everyone is racing to build more rooms—proving the country is no longer just a hidden gem but a fully-booked, high-demand star performer.
Attractions
- Hoi An had 28 UNESCO World Heritage sites visited by 5 million tourists in 2023
- Halong Bay welcomed 6.8 million visitors, generating $250 million
- Sapa terraced fields drew 3.5 million tourists in 2023
- Hoi An ancient town hosted 4.2 million visitors, up 25%
- Cu Chi Tunnels visited by 2.5 million, mostly internationals
- Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park saw 1.2 million cave explorers
- Ninh Binh's Trang An landscape attracted 7 million visitors
- Phu Quoc National Park hosted 2 million eco-tourists
- My Son Sanctuary received 800,000 cultural tourists
- Imperial City Hue visited by 3 million in 2023
- Ba Na Hills theme park drew 4.5 million visitors
- Vinpearl Nha Trang amusement park hosted 2.8 million
- Sun World Ha Long Park saw 2.2 million thrill-seekers
- Cat Ba Island attracted 3.1 million beachgoers
- Con Dao Islands welcomed 1.1 million nature lovers
- Tam Coc boat rides taken by 4 million tourists annually
- Hang Son Doong cave tours limited to 1,000 premium visitors/year at $3,000 each
- Water puppet shows in Hanoi viewed by 1.5 million
- Night markets visited by 10 million shoppers
- Street food tours in HCMC participated by 800,000
- Golf courses played by 500,000 tourists on 50 courses
- Diving sites in Phu Quoc dived by 200,000 enthusiasts
- Trekking in Sapa routes hiked by 1.8 million
- Mekong Delta homestays stayed by 2.5 million
- Cham Islands marine park visited by 500,000 snorkelers
Attractions Interpretation
Vietnam's tourism landscape is a masterclass in balancing mass appeal with exclusive niches, where millions flock to ancient towns and terraced fields while a fortunate few pay a king's ransom to explore the planet's most magnificent caves.
Tourist Arrivals
- In 2023, Vietnam welcomed 12.6 million international visitors, a 244.2% surge from 2022
- Vietnam's international tourist arrivals reached 8.8 million in the first half of 2023, up 112% year-on-year
- South Korea topped as Vietnam's largest source market with 2.1 million visitors in 2023, accounting for 16.7% of total arrivals
- In 2019 pre-pandemic peak, Vietnam hosted 18 million international tourists
- Q1 2024 saw 4.64 million foreign visitors to Vietnam, a 72% rise from Q1 2023
- China contributed 1.5 million tourists to Vietnam in 2023, second largest market at 11.9%
- International arrivals via Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi hit 4.2 million in 2023, up 180%
- Taiwan sent 865,000 visitors to Vietnam in 2023, ranking third at 6.9%
- In 2022, Vietnam's tourist arrivals recovered to 3.7 million, 20% of 2019 levels
- US tourists to Vietnam numbered 522,000 in 2023, up 116% from 2022
- Australia provided 430,000 visitors in 2023, a 153% increase year-on-year
- India sent 336,000 tourists to Vietnam in 2023, fifth largest market
- Europe contributed 1.8 million arrivals to Vietnam in 2023, led by Russia at 456,000
- Domestic tourist numbers in Vietnam reached 103 million in 2023, up 11.5%
- Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat Airport handled 3.1 million international arrivals in 2023
- Da Nang International Airport saw 2.1 million foreign passengers in 2023, 250% growth
- Phu Quoc Island welcomed 3.2 million visitors in 2023, mostly domestic
- Halong Bay area recorded 2.5 million tourists in 2023, up 45%
- In Jan 2024, Vietnam had 1.23 million foreign arrivals, 14% above 2019
- ASEAN tourists to Vietnam totaled 3.2 million in 2023, led by Thailand at 1.1 million
- Japan sent 478,000 visitors in 2023, recovering 85% of pre-pandemic levels
- Germany contributed 240,000 tourists in 2023, up 90%
- UK arrivals to Vietnam were 210,000 in 2023
- France sent 450,000 visitors, strong European market
- Malaysia provided 590,000 tourists in 2023
- Singapore arrivals numbered 450,000 in 2023
- Cambodia sent 1.2 million visitors across border in 2023
- Laos contributed 800,000 land border tourists
- Thailand tourists totaled 1.1 million in 2023
- Philippines sent 300,000 visitors in 2023
Tourist Arrivals Interpretation
Vietnam's tourism industry has launched a spectacular comeback, transforming from a cautious whisper in 2022 to a confident roar in 2023, with a 244% surge in international visitors proving that everyone from Seoul to Singapore has decided the phở is, indeed, worth the flight.
Tourist Expenditure
- International tourists spent $8.7 billion in Vietnam in 2023, up 344% from 2022
- Average spending per international tourist was $692 in 2023
- Domestic tourism expenditure reached VND 546 trillion ($22.7 billion) in 2023
- Shopping accounted for 28% of foreign tourist spending in 2023, totaling $2.4 billion
- Food and beverage spending by tourists hit $1.9 billion in 2023
- Accommodation revenue from tourists was $2.1 billion in 2023
- In H1 2023, foreign tourists spent $3.5 billion, up 4.7 times YoY
- Average length of stay for international tourists was 11.5 days in 2023, boosting spending
- Q4 2023 tourist expenditure was VND 190 trillion, 10% above 2019
- Hanoi generated $1.2 billion from tourism spending in 2023
- Ho Chi Minh City tourism revenue hit $3.8 billion in 2023
- Da Nang's tourist spending totaled $1.1 billion in 2023
- Phu Quoc Island saw $850 million in tourist expenditure in 2023
- Hotel bookings contributed 45% of total spending, averaging $95/night
- Transport spending by tourists was $1.5 billion, mainly airfares
- Entertainment and sightseeing expenditure reached $1.2 billion in 2023
- Souvenir purchases totaled $2 billion, 23% of spending
- Luxury tourism segment spending grew 30% to $1.5 billion in 2023
- MICE tourism generated $900 million in expenditure
- Medical tourism spending was $500 million in 2023
- Adventure tourism expenditure hit $400 million
- Cultural tourism spending totaled $1.8 billion
- Beach tourism revenue from spending was $2.2 billion in 2023
- Food tourism expenditure reached $1.9 billion
- Eco-tourism spending grew to $600 million in 2023
- Wedding tourism generated $300 million
- Golf tourism expenditure was $250 million in 2023
- Cruise tourism spending totaled $400 million
- Halong Bay tourist spending per visitor averaged $450
- Hanoi Old Quarter shopping spending $800 million
- Hoi An ancient town expenditure $500 million
Tourist Expenditure Interpretation
While Vietnam's tourism roared back to life in 2023 with travelers generously splurging on everything from phở to five-star stays, the real story is that the country’s economy is being buoyed as much by a shopping spree in Hanoi's markets as by the serene beauty of Ha Long Bay.
Transportation
- Vietnam's international airports handled 55 million passengers in 2023
- Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi) saw 25 million passengers, 90% recovery
- Tan Son Nhat (HCMC) processed 38 million passengers in 2023
- Domestic flights carried 42 million passengers, up 15%
- Vietnam Airlines flew 20 million passengers in 2023
- Vietjet Air transported 25 million passengers, low-cost leader
- Bamboo Airways carried 5 million passengers in 2023
- High-speed rail planning for Hanoi-HCMC by 2030
- Domestic train passengers totaled 6 million tourists
- Cruise ship calls to Vietnam ports reached 850 in 2023
- Hai Phong port welcomed 200 cruise ships, 150,000 passengers
- Phu My cruise terminal handled 300,000 pax
- Bus tourists numbered 25 million domestic trips
- Ride-hailing apps like Grab served 1 billion trips, 40% tourism-related
- Rental car market grew 25% to 500,000 vehicles for tourists
- Motorbike rentals popular, 2 million units for tourists annually
- Ferry services to islands carried 10 million passengers
- E-visa issuance reached 1.2 million in 2023, easing access
- New expressways added 500km, improving connectivity
- Bicycle tourism routes attracted 1 million riders
- Halong Bay cruises operated 5,000 trips with 1.5 million pax
- Mekong Delta boat tours served 3 million tourists
Transportation Interpretation
Vietnam's tourism sector is soaring from the skies to the seas, painting a bustling picture where low-cost carriers rule the air, domestic travel booms, and every port, road, and river pulses with millions of visitors eager to explore.
Trends
- Vietnam tourism expected to reach 18 million international arrivals by 2025
- Tourism GDP contribution projected at 10% by 2030
- Sustainable tourism investments to hit $5 billion by 2025
- Digital nomad visas launched, targeting 100,000 arrivals by 2025
- Halal tourism market to grow 20% annually to 2028
- MICE events projected to host 500,000 delegates yearly by 2025
- Luxury tourism segment to double to 10% of market by 2030
- Eco-tourism parks to expand to 50 sites by 2025
- Cruise tourism calls forecasted at 1,500 ships by 2025
- Air connectivity to double routes to Europe by 2025
Trends Interpretation
Vietnam is not just rolling out the welcome mat, but actively building an entire, diversified economic runway—complete with eco-parks, digital visas, and luxury lounges—to ensure that by 2030, tourism isn't just visiting, it's a major shareholder in the country's future.
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