Hanoi (VNA) – For consecutive years, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and the northern province of Quang Ninh have dominated Vietnam's tourism landscape, thanks to innovative marketing strategies and unique tourism offerings.
These destinations have not only attracted substantial visitor numbers but also generated high revenue, cementing their status as the country's top tourism hotspots.
HCM City: A tourism powerhouse
Ho Chi Minh City continues to impress as a tourism juggernaut, drawing an impressive 6.1 million foreign visitors and 38 million domestic tourists last year. This represents a 20% and 8.6% annual increase, respectively. The city's tourism sector raked in 190 trillion VND (7.6 billion USD), surpassing all expectations with 18.8% growth.
Throughout the year, the municipal tourism sector rolled out new offerings while improving existing ones. Signature events like the Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival, the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival, the Ho Chi Minh City River Festival, and the Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo garnered significant attention. Promotional campaigns reached out to key markets, including Laos, Australia, Germany, Japan, and the US, alongside attendance at prestigious international travel fairs.
The city's efforts were recognised by the World Travel Awards (WTA), which honoured Ho Chi Minh City as Asia’s Leading Business Travel Destination 2024, Leading Festival and Event Destination 2024, and Best MICE Destination 2024. The municipal Department of Tourism was also named Asia’s Leading City Tourist Board 2024 by the WTA.
Looking ahead to 2025, the department has plans to welcome 8.5 million foreigners and 45 million domestic tourists, with a revenue target of 260 trillion VND.
Hanoi: A Bumper Year for Tourism
Hanoi stands tall as Vietnam's second largest tourism earner, with nearly 28 million visitors contributing to a revenue of 110 trillion VND, an 18% increase from the previous year. The capital welcomed 6.35 million foreigners, with 4.47 million overnight stays, a 34.4% increase. Domestic tourism also saw a 7.5% hike with 21.51 million visitors.
Dubbed a "bumper year" by experts, Hanoi's success in 2024 was highlighted by awards from both Tripadvisor and WTA, showcasing its diverse tourism products, from luxurious five-star services to immersive local life, with the unique charm of rural villages and the globally distinctive “sidewalk culture”.
Looking forward, Hanoi set its sights on over 30 million visitors in 2025, reflecting an 11.1% hike from the estimated figures for 2024. This includes more than 7 million foreigners (with 5 million overnight stays), up 27.3% year-on-year, and 23 million domestic travelers, marking a 7% growth compared to 2024 projections.
Quang Ninh: resurgence after Super Typhoon Yagi
Quang Ninh has firmly established itself among Vietnam's top three tourism destinations, drawing an estimated 19 million visitors and generating over 46 trillion VND in revenue in 2024. Despite being hard hit by Super Typhoon Yagi, travel agents noted that Quang Ninh could have achieved even higher figures without the natural disaster.
Its robust tourism performance is supported by modern and comprehensive transportation infrastructure, including highways, seaports, an airport, and border gates, along with strategic stimulus policies and expanded partnerships.
Last year, Quang Ninh hosted several major events that boosted its profile, including the Clipper Race 2023-2024 - a global sailing competition, the arrival of a 4,500-strong MICE group from India, and MICE delegations from China and other domestic markets.
To navigate challenges, particularly the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, the provincial Department of Tourism joined forces with the provincial Tourism Association and local travel companies to launch travel stimulus initiatives. The Autumn-Winter 2024 campaign, themed “Quang Ninh – Wonder of Four Seasons,” drew over 300 businesses offering thousands of discounted travel packages.
The department is optimistic about hosting 20 million travellers, including 15.5 million domestic and 4.5 million foreign visitors, with total receipts estimated at 50 trillion VND./.
