China’s Travelers Pivot to Vietnam, Driving Record Arrivals

Tourists in Hanoi. 

Photographer: Nhac Nguyen/AFP/Getty Images

Vietnam welcomed a record number of foreign tourists in 2025, as a resurgence of Chinese visitors and relaxed visa policies helped lure travelers.

The Southeast Asian nation received around 21.2 million international visitors last year, up 20%, according to the National Statistics Office. Its previous peak was 18 million, recorded in 2019 before the pandemic.