{"id":1575,"date":"2026-06-17T04:42:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T04:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575"},"modified":"2026-06-17T04:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T04:42:10","slug":"vietnam-is-becoming-the-hottest-tourist-hotspot-in-southeast-asia-and-trying-to-avoid-thailands-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575","title":{"rendered":"Vietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Just over 21 million people visited Vietnam in 2025, a 20% jump from the year before, according to government statistics. Last year, Vietnam surpassed Thailand as the most popular destination for Chinese tourists, drawing 5.3 million visitors, ahead of the 4.5 million headed to Thailand. The government now hopes to generate 1.1 quadrillion Vietnamese dong, or $41 billion, from tourism this year.<\/p>\n

Read more Citi, Ford, and Experian share their strategies for scaling AI agents<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cVietnam\u2019s location puts it in a prime position for tourism development, and its potential is bolstered by its cultural heritage,\u201d Mai Van Chinh, one of the country\u2019s deputy prime ministers, said at a tourism forum last September, praising the country\u2019s \u201cdiverse cuisines, beautiful landscapes, and gracious people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s not just the traditional hubs of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City that are popular. Travel to the island of Phu Quoc and the northwestern town of Sa Pa more than doubled in 2025, according to data from Klook, an Asian travel platform. \u201cTourists are seeking out nature-driven and culturally distinct destinations beyond the major cities,\u201d says CS Soong, Klook\u2019s vice president of corporate development.<\/p>\n

The conversation over Vietnam\u2019s economic potential focuses on its manufacturing sector, exporting electronics, apparel, and other goods to markets all over the world. Yet tourism, which contributes almost 10% of GDP, shows the country can compete on the services side, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cVietnam is competing with Thailand and Malaysia to become the top destination in the region,\u201d says Le Hong Hiep, a senior fellow at the ISEAS\u2013Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.<\/p>\n

Though Southeast Asia is better known as a destination for backpackers seeking entertainment and lodging on the cheap, Vietnam might be ready for a different kind of traveler.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cBackpackers do not spend much,\u201d Le says. \u201cThe government is trying to attract tourists who can spend more and stay longer in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

That means business, luxury, and medical travelers. Vietnam\u2019s health ministry expects the medical tourism industry to grow from $700 million in 2024 to nearly $4 billion by 2033. Conference travel is also expanding, with Mordor Intelligence forecasting the industry will grow from $7.8 billion today to $10.3 billion in 2031.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

One reason for Vietnam\u2019s travel boom is, quite simply, that it\u2019s easier to get there. Last year, Vietnam allowed nationals of a dozen countries, including Belgium, Hungary, and Switzerland, to stay in the country for 45 days without a visa; now, 39 countries get some kind of visa-free access.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIf visa restrictions are lifted, that\u2019s beneficial for any travel location,\u201d says Alexandra Murray, vice president and regional head of Southeast Asia for Hilton, the U.S.-based hotel group. \u201cTourists can be more spontaneous in their travel plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Vietnam\u2019s airlines are also making an aggressive play for international expansion. Vietjet, the country\u2019s leading private airline, is launching new flights from China, Japan, and Singapore, and is considering new routes from Europe. Vietnam\u2019s traveler pool is expanding beyond traditional sources like Singapore and South Korea; Klook data suggests that now Filipino and Indian travelers are driving regional demand, while long-haul tourism from the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand is also accelerating. Still, China and South Korea remain the two biggest sources of tourists to Vietnam by a large margin, with Russia a distant third.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump turned the dollar into a foreign policy tool, and now risks undermining the currency\u2019s extraordinary status, think tank says<\/a><\/p>\n

Hanoi is channeling money toward expanding infrastructure in tourist hotspots. For example, the government has invested over $830 million for a new airport in Phu Quoc, helmed by Sun Group, a local conglomerate, and the Changi Airport Group, the firm behind Singapore\u2019s world-leading aviation hub. This, and other investments, are being made ahead of the 2027 APEC Summit, taking place on the island.<\/p>\n

Foreign companies aren\u2019t getting left out. Vingroup recently signed an agreement with U.K. hospitality company IHG Hotels & Resorts to bring four brands to Can Gio, a coastal district in Ho Chi Minh City. Sun Group also deepened its partnership with Hilton last year, with plans to develop five hotels encompassing over 2,000 rooms across Phu Quoc, Da Nang, and Quang Ninh.<\/p>\n

\u201cLots of great construction contracts have been awarded,\u201d Murray says. \u201cIt\u2019s like nothing I\u2019ve seen in any other country, not even in the Middle East. It\u2019s strategic too, so Vietnam can cement its place in Southeast Asia as an up-and-coming place to invest in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cLocal companies are building more hotels in major cities, but they need to partner with foreign operators so they can market themselves as international hotels to attract foreign tourists,\u201d says Le of the ISEAS\u2013Yusof Ishak Institute.<\/p>\n

But while aggressive growth is important in the short run, it\u2019s crucial for Vietnam\u2019s tourism industry to pursue sustainable, long-term gains. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about growing tourism across Vietnam, but how to do so sustainably,\u201d Le explains. \u201cWe want repeat tourism arrivals, so the focus is on how to improve the quality of services so that travelers will stay longer, spend more, and come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thailand\u2019s struggles with tourism are indicative of how the industry can go wrong. The COVID pandemic torpedoed the country\u2019s tourism industry, and political instability and fears about crime have kept some tourists, particularly from China, away. Thailand is also scaling back its visa-free program, with visitors now getting to stay for only 30 days, down from 60, to better attract \u201cquality tourists\u201d instead of those trying to take advantage of a lengthy Thai sojourn.<\/p>\n

\u201cVietnam observed how places like Bali and Thailand suffer from over-development and overtourism,\u201d says Vu Minh Khuong, a practice professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. \u201cWe\u2019re also learning by doing, and care a lot about international best practices,\u201d Vu adds.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s possible the surge of tourists eventually peters out. That will leave the country with a lot of underused hotels and airports. \u201cAt some point in the future, Vietnam may face the same problem as Thailand\u2014where tourism infrastructure is abundant, but there\u2019s a struggle to fill rooms,\u201d Le says.<\/p>\n

This article appears in the June\/July 2026: Asia issue of \u00a0<\/em><\/em>Fortunewith the headline \u201cAsia\u2019s new tourist hotspot.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Vietnam has to find $200 billion to fund its ambitious growth agenda. Techcombank\u2019s CEO thinks that has to come from overseas<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The country had 21 million visitors in 2025. Officials think they can attract even more in the future\u2014and are splurging on infrastrucuture spending to meet that hoped-for demand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[283],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tourism"],"yoast_head":"\nVietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes - Cross Country Moving Team<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Vietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes - Cross Country Moving Team\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The country had 21 million visitors in 2025. Officials think they can attract even more in the future\u2014and are splurging on infrastrucuture spending to meet that hoped-for demand.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cross Country Moving Team\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-17T04:42:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa\"},\"headline\":\"Vietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-17T04:42:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575\"},\"wordCount\":1070,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/6e4208b02275fe38ecf58cba50586f84.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"tourism\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575\",\"name\":\"Vietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes - Cross Country Moving Team\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/6e4208b02275fe38ecf58cba50586f84.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-17T04:42:10+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/6e4208b02275fe38ecf58cba50586f84.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/6e4208b02275fe38ecf58cba50586f84.webp\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=1575#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Vietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Cross Country Moving Team\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Vietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes - Cross Country Moving Team","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Vietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes - Cross Country Moving Team","og_description":"The country had 21 million visitors in 2025. Officials think they can attract even more in the future\u2014and are splurging on infrastrucuture spending to meet that hoped-for demand.","og_url":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575","og_site_name":"Cross Country Moving Team","article_published_time":"2026-06-17T04:42:10+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa"},"headline":"Vietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes","datePublished":"2026-06-17T04:42:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575"},"wordCount":1070,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6e4208b02275fe38ecf58cba50586f84.webp","articleSection":["tourism"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575","url":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575","name":"Vietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes - Cross Country Moving Team","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6e4208b02275fe38ecf58cba50586f84.webp","datePublished":"2026-06-17T04:42:10+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6e4208b02275fe38ecf58cba50586f84.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6e4208b02275fe38ecf58cba50586f84.webp","width":1200,"height":600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=1575#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Vietnam is becoming the hottest tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia\u2014and trying to avoid Thailand\u2019s mistakes"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/","name":"Cross Country Moving Team","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com"],"url":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1575\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}