2025 was a record year for Vietnamese tourism. But arrival numbers are only half the story. The other half is that travellers in 2026 want to travel very differently from a few years ago.
Vietnam 2025: a record year
According to Vietnam's General Statistics Office (Ministry of Finance), the country welcomed nearly 21.2 million international visitors in 2025, up 20.4% on the previous year. Around 17.8 million arrived by air, 3.1 million by road and nearly 274,000 by sea.
What travellers want in 2026: six trends from Booking.com
Each year, Booking.com surveys travellers worldwide to predict trends. The 2026 edition surveyed 29,733 people in 33 countries and territories, with personalisation as the overarching theme. These six trends hold the most opportunity for Vietnam.
Hushed Hobbies — quiet pastimes in nature. 43% of travellers want to travel to feel closer to nature, rising to 81% among Gen Z. 73% are open to fishing or birdwatching. Vietnam's forests, coasts, mountains and countryside have it all.
Shelf-ie Souvenirs — souvenirs to eat and display. 68% want edible or design-led kitchen keepsakes, and 55% would travel to a place known for them. Coffee, fish sauce and regional sweets are a clear advantage for Vietnam.
Glow-cations — beauty travel. Nearly 80% are open to a skincare-focused trip. Spas and beach resorts in central Vietnam have a natural edge.
Modern Milestone Missions — travel as a reward. 75% feel they deserve a trip because they've worked hard, and 67% don't need any reason to book one.
Roadtrip Rewired — a new kind of road trip. 84% are open to sharing a car with other travellers on holiday. 77% of Gen Z are open to self-drive or AI-shaped routes. Routes such as the Hải Vân Pass or Hà Giang are a perfect fit.
PastPorts — retracing memories. 66% would revisit the place where an old photo was taken. For overseas Vietnamese, this is a very real reason to come home.
Creators: tourism's new distribution channel
These trends share one thing: travellers usually discover them through a short video before they see an ad. Vietnam's tourism authorities realised this early. In 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism worked with Meta and BHD on Let's Feast Vietnam, a reality show taking 14 Asian creators through Vietnamese food and culture, later distributed on Netflix in Asia (full analysis in 4.1).
What it means for Vietnamese tourism
Each trend opens a concrete opportunity. Hushed Hobbies points to forest walks, fishing and birdwatching tours in national parks. Shelf-ie Souvenirs is a reason to package coffee, fish sauce and regional specialities more beautifully. Glow-cations open the way for packages combining resorts, spas and dermatology treatments.
Milestone Missions suit short "treat yourself" getaways. Roadtrip Rewired needs self-drive routes with clear maps and stops. And PastPorts is an opportunity for programmes designed for overseas Vietnamese and returning visitors.
Case study: Lilthu on Let's Feast Vietnam & Korea Season 2
In November 2024, Vietnamese lifestyle personality Lilthu was one of ten players on Let's Feast Vietnam & Korea, the second season of Let's Feast. According to VTC News, the show ran for 16 episodes on MyTV; players had more than 40 million followers combined and were eliminated by audience vote. The format shows the role of creators in tourism clearly: every food or culture challenge is not just a scene, but an invitation to visit Vietnam sent straight to each player's community.
Sources: VnBusiness — General Statistics Office data (01/2026, Vietnamese) · Hospitality Net — Booking.com Travel Predictions 2026 · VTV — Let's Feast Vietnam · VTC News — Season 2 (Vietnamese)
Hashtags: #TravelTrends2026 #VietnamTravel #VisitVietnam #TravelVietnam #BookingCom #SlowTravel #Glowcation #RoadTrip #HaGiang #HaiVanPass #VietnameseFood #LetsFeastVietnam #TravelCreator #TrendReport #Lilthu
