Business News

HCMC attracted more than 1.6 million international visitors and 8.5 million domestic travelers in the first quarter of this year, according to the city’s Department of Tourism. The city generated an estimated VND56.66 trillion in tourism revenue during the period, up by 26.7% year-on-year and reaching 21.8% of the full-year target.

The tourism sector is showing strong momentum, driven by favourable visa policies, improved infrastructure and strategic marketing efforts by both authorities and businesses, a conference has heard. The biannual conference on the real estate and hospitality sectors “Meet The Experts,” held in HCM City on Tuesday, brought together over 700 representatives from real estate developers, hotel owners, architects, design consultants, project consultants, hotel operators, and industry experts.

Agriculture tourism (agritourism) and rural tourism in Việt Nam, where tourists can engage in farm activities, have been attracting many visitors, helping local farmers increase their incomes and enhance the quality of Vietnamese agricultural products. The trend of agricultural and rural tourism is not only growing in many countries worldwide but is particularly suitable for Việt Nam, a country with vast agricultural land where over 62.7 per cent of the population lives in rural areas.

Vietnam has once again proven its appeal as a global travel hotspot, with multiple destinations earning prestigious accolades in the 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best by Tripadvisor, the world’s leading online travel platform.

Aviation businesses in Vietnam are expected to perform better in 2025, driven by effective restructuring. National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines is on the way to making consolidated revenues of around $4.37 billion in 2024, up from $3.88 billion in 2023.

Co-organised by the Vietnam Airlines branch in the region and the Society of IATA Passenger Agents Ltd (SIPA), the event gathered representatives of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau and CEOs and senior managers of many local travel companies.

Recently, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo of South Korea convened the “Korea Tourism Export Strategy Innovation Conference” in the city of Gwangju, aiming to attract over 20 million foreign tourists in 2024. During the meeting, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced the goal of promoting the development of the tourism industry, with a target of achieving a record-high revenue of $24.5 billion by 2024.

E-visa holders will be allowed to stay in Vietnam for up to 90 days starting from August 15, or three-times longer than the previous 30 days.