CategoriesNews By Ánh Ngọc Trương

Khanh Hoa welcomes diverse international tourists

Khanh Hoa tourism is in its vibrant days. In addition to domestic tourists, international tourists to Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa continue to increase with tourists coming from many countries in the world…

On the central streets of Nha Trang City such as: Tran Phu, Hung Vuong, Nguyen Thien Thuat, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai… are always bustling with tourists, especially international tourists from Korea, China, Russia and Kazakhstan… Korean tourists often like to stroll around, explore the small corners of the city, stop at pretty little cafes to sip a cup of coconut milk or iced milk coffee with a strong Vietnamese flavor. Meanwhile, Russian and Kazakh tourists spend most of their time sunbathing on the beach, swimming in the clear blue water or lying on a deck chair sipping a cool coconut.

Russian tourists fly from Vladivostok, Russia to Khanh Hoa

According to Cung Quynh Anh – Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in the first 5 months of 2025, Khanh Hoa welcomed more than 2.23 million international visitors, an increase of nearly 11.4% over the same period last year. Notably, with the reopening of direct flights from Russia to Cam Ranh, the Russian and Kazakh tourist markets have grown remarkably. In addition, the Korean tourist market has maintained stable growth. According to the report, in 5 months, Khanh Hoa welcomed more than 1 million Korean visitors, an increase of 4.1% over the same period; 121,000 Russian visitors, up 192% over the same period; Kazakhstan visitors reached more than 52,650, up 30%; the number of Chinese visitors was nearly 298,000. In addition many tourists come from Western Europe, North America, Australia, Southeast Asia…

The high number of international visitors has brought Khanh Hoa a summer tourist season. At VinWonders Nha Trang, Nha Trang Tourist Wharf, Long Phu Tourist Wharf, etc. besides Vietnamese visitors, there are many international visitors booking tours. Famous tourist attractions such as Po Nagar Tower, Long Son Pagoda, Nha Trang Cathedral, Oceanographic Museum etc. always receive tourists. At night, the city lights up with night markets, walking streets, seafood restaurants bustling with music and attractive aromas. “The bustling atmosphere from morning to night, from the beach to the city center, is a clear demonstration of the growing appeal of the coastal city in the eyes of domestic and international tourists,” said Pham Minh Nhut, Chairman of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa Tourism Association.

The good growth of Khanh Hoa’s international tourist market is in the context of Vietnam’s increasingly high tourism position in the world. According to information from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Google’s market trend tracking tool shows that Vietnam is the only destination in Southeast Asia in the top 10 most searched destinations by tourists since the beginning of the year. In Agoda’s report on summer travel trends from Europe to Asia based on accommodation search data in July and August 2025, Vietnam is listed in the top 5 Asian destinations searched by European tourists in the summer of 2025. One of the destinations that international tourists often search for and choose is Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa.

Korean tourists strolling on the streets of Nha Trang

Nguyen Duc Tan – General Director of Anex Vietnam Trading and Tourism Company Limited said that Khanh Hoa becomes a favorite destination for international tourists thanks to its diverse and attractive products; tourism infrastructure is increasingly invested in and developed synchronously, the expansion of direct flights connecting with major cities in the world … has created favorable conditions for tourists to access Khanh Hoa. In particular, the increasingly open visa and immigration policies are a bright spot in the eyes of international friends. This can be clearly seen through the growth of the Russian tourist market in recent times.

Khanh Hoa tourism is attracting international tourists, but for sustainable development, it also needs to be improved. Compared to many famous destinations in Thailand, Singapore… Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa still lacks night entertainment services, shopping, art shows… to keep visitors staying longer. In addition, the traffic infrastructure is not synchronous, often overloaded during peak season; tourism personnel (tour guides, hotel staff, restaurants …) are limited, especially foreign language skills. Some destinations still have the situation of overcharging and soliciting customers to buy goods. According to Pham Ha – CEO of Lux Group, for tourism to make a breakthrough, Khanh Hoa tourism needs a comprehensive strategy from enhancing experiences, developing products, promoting, improving infrastructure, protecting the environment.

According to the report of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in the first 5 months of 2025, Khanh Hoa welcomed more than 4.6 million tourists, an increase of 19.3% over the same period in 2024. Of which, international visitors reached more than 2.23 million, an increase of nearly 11.4% and domestic visitors reached nearly 2.4 million, an increase of 28.5%. Total tourism revenue reached nearly 23,652 billion VND, an increase of 18.2% over the same period last year.

According to information from Cam Ranh International Airport, in June 2025, the airport welcomed 32 international flights/day. Of which, there were 19 flights/day from Korea to Cam Ranh, the rest were flights from Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, etc.

Source: Khanh Hoa News – news.baokhanhhoa.vn – Jun 28, 2025

CategoriesNews By Ánh Ngọc Trương

VNAT and Mastercard discuss strategic cooperation to promote Vietnam’s Tourism

(TITC) – On May 27 in Hanoi, Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Chairman of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), held a meeting with Mr. Sharad Jain, Interim Chief Representative of Mastercard Vietnam, to explore directions for future support for Vietnam’s tourism development. Also present at the meeting were Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Vice Chairman of VNAT, along with leaders from VNAT’s departments.

VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh meeting up with Interim Chief Representative of Mastercard Vietnam Sharad Jain (Photo: TITC)

Mr. Sharad Jain expressed his gratitude to VNAT’s leaders for their warm reception and shared Mastercard’s positive assessment of Vietnam’s post-pandemic tourism recovery. According to Mastercard’s data, Vietnam ranks among the top-performing countries in Southeast Asia in terms of tourism rebound. Key source markets of Vietnam such as South Korea, China, India, and Australia are showing strong growth. Major destinations like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Ha Long, Phu Quoc, and Nha Trang are highly favored by international tourists with high spending.

Mr. Jain highlighted Mastercard’s potential role in supporting VNAT through data-driven market research. By analyzing the characteristics, preferences, and spending behaviors of tourists, across categories such as accommodation, transportation, shopping, entertainment, and dining, Vietnam can better understand international visitor trends. These insights would be valuable for strategic planning, improving visitor experience, and tailoring promotional efforts to attract more tourists.

Interim Chief Representative of Mastercard Vietnam Sharad Jain speaking at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

Mastercard representative presenting the potential and strengths of Mastercard (Photo: TITC)

Welcoming the Mastercard delegation, Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh acknowledged Mastercard’s global influence and its capacity to significantly enhance Vietnam’s tourism marketing strategy. He emphasized the importance of equipping international travelers with accurate and appealing information about Vietnam to inspire them to choose it as a destination.

VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh speaking at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

Chairman Khanh underscored that one of the tourism sector’s key missions is to promote the cultural and tourism values of Vietnam on the global stage. He remarked, “International tourists are, in fact, the most effective ambassadors for tourism.” He also noted that, in addition to popular destinations like Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, and Da Nang, foreign visitors are showing increasing interest in discovering lesser-known, emerging destinations throughout Vietnam.

During the meeting, Mastercard’s representative presented the corporation’s strengths in finance, technology, and marketing, as well as its ability to connect with a wide network of global partners. She reaffirmed Mastercard’s readiness to collaborate with VNAT to carry out initiatives aimed at attracting more international tourists, enhancing visitor experiences, and supporting the broader goals of Vietnam’s tourism development.

Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh welcomed Mastercard’s proposals, describing them as well-aligned with the needs of Vietnam’s tourism industry. The proposed areas of cooperation include in-depth market research, supporting tourism roadshows both domestically and internationally, organizing tourism development seminars, expanding digital media outreach, and leveraging technology to enhance the tourist experience.

He concluded the meeting by stating, “Mastercard is a globally renowned corporation offering advanced solutions in finance, technology, marketing, and communications. Meanwhile, Vietnam is emerging as a standout destination attracting growing international attention. The cooperation between VNAT and Mastercard will mark a significant milestone in the development of Vietnam’s tourism industry.”

Overview of the meeting (Photo: TITC)

Leaders of both sides taking souvenir photo (Photo: TITC)

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CategoriesNews By Ánh Ngọc Trương

Google: Vietnam ranks 7th globally in Top Growth by destination country

(TITC) – Thanks to open visa policy, excellent portfolio of diverse and high-quality tourism products, and the expansion of international air routes, Vietnam is emerging as a standout destination on the global tourism map. According to aggregated data from Google Destination Insights, Vietnam ranks 7th globally in Top Growth by destination country.

Accordingly, international searches for tourist accommodations in Vietnam since early of this year have recorded rapid growth of 10%-25%, placing the country in 7th position globally. Vietnam is also the only Southeast Asian country listed in the top 10, surpassing other competitors in the region, such as the Philippines (#18), Singapore (#25), Thailand (#36), Indonesia (#37), and Malaysia (#39).

Vietnam among the Top 10 Fastest-Growing Global Travel Destinations

The top 10 most searched Vietnamese cities by foreigners include: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Vung Tau, Da Lat, Phan Thiet, and Hue.

Notably, Vung Tau and Ninh Binh recorded the highest growth in search volume (over 75%).

Highest demand for Vietnam tourism derived from source markets of the United States, India, Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

Several key factors contributing to Vietnam’s appeal among global travelers include its diverse tourism offerings, from cultural, nature, and coastal tourism to emerging products like agricultural tourism, rail journeys, wellness, sports tourism…

Vietnam’s tourism infrastructure has also been rapidly improved, with the development of air, road, and sea transport. The expansion of direct flights connecting major global cities with Vietnam has enhanced the accessibility for international visitors. Particularly, Vietnam’s open visa and immigration policies are playing an important role to attract international visitors to the country. Moreover, Vietnam’s stability in terms of security and public order is considered a crucial factor being highly valued by foreigners.

Besides, marketing and promotion campaigns conducted by Vietnam tourism sector in key source markets also help raising Vietnam tourism brand globally. Currently, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism is running a tourism roadshow in France, Italy, and Switzerland from 3-14 May.

In the first four months of 2025, Vietnam welcomed over 7.6 million international arrivals, marking a 23.8% increase compared to the same period last year. Coupled with the good news of ranking 7th globally in destination search growth, these are promising signals for the tourism sector in first months of 2025 – a pivotal year for the sector striving to attract 22-23 million international arrivals, contributing to targeted GDP growth of 8% set by the Government.

Tourism Information Technology Center