Vietnam welcomed an all-time high of 21.2 million international arrivals in 2025, up 20.4% year-on-year and aided by a surge in arrivals from China and Russia.
The figure did, however, fall short of Vietnam’s ambitious target of between 23 and 25 million arrivals.
Despite this, the government stated in announcing its tourism performance that the new record represents a critical turning point in Vietnam’s integration into the global tourism market, highlighting the strength of its brand on the international stage.
Notably, while regional rivals like Thailand and the Philippines have suffered from a marked decline in visitation from China, Vietnam enjoyed a 41.3% increase in mainland Chinese arrivals to 5.28 million – cementing its status as Vietnam’s top source tourism market. South Korea ranked second with 4.33 visitors to Vietnam followed by Taiwan with 1.23 million.
Other major contributors included the United States (849,000), Japan (814,000), India (746,480), Russia (689,714), Cambodia (687,132), Malaysia (573,716) and Australia (548,471), with Russia posting a massive 197% year-on-year increase.
Data from the General Statistics Office shows that the FY25 tally included a 15.7% increase in foreign arrivals in December to more than 2 million, representing a strong finish to the year.
Notably, the surge in visitor numbers in 2025 bodes well for Vietnam’s casino operators, who for the most part remain foreigner-only. The country now also boasts two casinos that are open to locals play – Corona Resort and Casino in Phu Quoc and the most recent addition in The Grand Ho Tram.
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