According to the latest report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), global tourism saw nearly 690 million international travelers in the first half of 2025 - an increase of approximately 33 million compared to the same period in 2024. Among all countries, Vietnam, alongside Japan, recorded the highest tourism growth rate worldwide.

Vietnam’s tourism industry posted impressive gains despite the Asia-Pacific region still recovering from the pandemic’s impact.

Africa and Asia-Pacific lead recovery

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili commented on the first half of 2025: "Despite global challenges, international tourism continues to grow robustly. The increase in visitor arrivals and revenues during the first half of 2025 has positively contributed to economies, jobs, and local livelihoods."

He emphasized the importance of ensuring this growth remains sustainable and inclusive, urging collaboration with local stakeholders to support long-term development.

Globally, international tourist arrivals rose by 5% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, 4% higher than pre-pandemic levels. However, growth varied across regions.

Africa posted the strongest performance with a 12% rise in international arrivals, including a 14% increase in North Africa and 11% in sub-Saharan Africa.

Europe welcomed nearly 340 million international tourists in the first half of 2025, marking a 4% increase over 2024 and a 7% rise over 2019 levels. Northern, Western, and Southern Europe each grew 3%, while Central and Eastern Europe showed a strong 9% rebound, though still 11% below 2019 levels.

In the Americas, tourism grew by 3%. South America led with 14% growth, while Central America saw only a 2% rise. North America remained nearly unchanged due to slight declines in U.S. and Canadian arrivals. The Caribbean also underperformed due to weakened demand from the U.S. market.

The Middle East saw a 4% drop in tourist numbers, despite earlier pandemic recovery gains. Nevertheless, visitor arrivals in the region were still 29% higher than in the first half of 2019.

Asia-Pacific saw 11% growth, but the region has only recovered to 92% of pre-pandemic levels. Notably, Northeast Asia led regional growth with a 20% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Vietnam and Japan lead global growth

In this context, UN Tourism ranked Vietnam and Japan as the world’s top tourism growth destinations in the first half of 2025. Both countries recorded a 21% increase in international tourist arrivals compared to the previous year.

Other markets also showed strong performance: Morocco (+19%), South Korea (+15%), Malaysia and Indonesia (+9%), Mexico, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong (China) (+7%). Top destinations such as France and Spain reported 5% growth in tourist arrivals.

Vietnam’s National Tourism Administration (under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) praised the country’s exceptional growth, especially given the Asia-Pacific region’s incomplete recovery.

According to the General Statistics Office (Ministry of Finance), Vietnam welcomed an estimated 10.66 million international tourists in the first half of 2025 - a 20.7% increase year-on-year. Total tourism revenue reached approximately 518 trillion VND (around USD 21.3 billion).

For the first eight months of 2025, Vietnam recorded 13.9 million international arrivals, up 21.7% compared to the same period in 2024. Experts attribute this growth to visa policy easing, stronger global promotion efforts, and the launch of new direct flights to popular destinations.

Risks remain for global tourism

Despite positive trends, the tourism industry still faces risks. A UN Tourism expert panel survey in September 2025 identified rising costs in transportation, accommodation, and general travel expenses as the main challenges affecting global tourism this year.

Travel inflation is expected to decline from 8% in 2024 to 6.8% in 2025, yet this remains significantly above the pre-pandemic rate of 3.1% and higher than the general inflation rate of 4.3%.

About 50% of experts surveyed predicted better tourism prospects for the September–December period, 33% expected the situation to remain stable, and 16% feared deterioration.

According to the panel, travelers are increasingly looking for value-for-money experiences, affordable travel products, and are shifting toward shorter trips or closer destinations in response to rising costs.

Economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions may also impact tourist confidence. Survey results indicated that low consumer confidence ranked third among tourism concerns, while geopolitical risks ranked fourth. Tariffs and travel regulations were also flagged as key obstacles.

The UN Tourism Confidence Index forecast for September–December 2025 reached 120 points (out of 200), up from 114 during May–August.

Monthly statistics from UN Tourism for the first half of 2025 revealed several destinations achieved impressive revenue growth from international tourism: Japan (+18%), the UK (+13%), France (+9%), Spain and Turkey (+8%).

Major outbound markets also showed significant spending increases: China and Spain (+16%), the UK (+15%), Singapore (+10%), and South Korea (+8%). In 2024, global international tourism revenue reached a record USD 1.734 trillion - 14% higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Despite ongoing risks, global tourism demand is expected to remain stable through the end of 2025. UN Tourism has maintained its global growth forecast at 3–5% for the year.

Nhan Dan