Hanoi (VNA) - The four-day National Day holiday from August 30 – September 2 gave a boost to Vietnam’s tourism, with a surge in both domestic and international visitors, contributing to driving the sector’s post-pandemic recovery and growth.

A wide range of cultural events, festivals, and promotional programmes were held nationwide, drawing large crowds of visitors. These positive results bring Vietnam closer to its 2025 targets of welcoming 25 million international arrivals and 150 million domestic tourists.

Hanoi tourism sets new record

As the host of the grand parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of National Day and the Exhibition on national achievements, Hanoi welcomed more than 2.08 million visitors during the holiday, triple the figure from the same period in 2024. Tourism revenue was estimated at 4.5 trillion VND (170.8 million), surging by about 80% compared to the same period in 2024.

The capital city served an estimated 80,000 international visitors, up 35% year-on-year, with top source markets including China, the Republic of Korea, India, the US, Japan, the UK, and Australia.

According to Truong Quoc Hung, Chairman of the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club, the surge in international visitors during the National Day holiday is a positive signal for Vietnam’s tourism as it enters the peak inbound season in the fourth quarter. He attributed the result to proactive efforts by localities and businesses in investing in and diversifying tourism products to better meet the demand of international visitors.

During the holiday, inner-city and historical tours boomed, with many travel companies fully booked one to two months in advance. According to tour operators, domestic tours accounted for around 60% of total bookings at many agencies.

Notably, the National Achievements Exhibition themed “80 years of Independence – Freedom – Happiness” at the Vietnam Exposition Centre in Dong Anh commune, which features 230 booths from ministries, 34 provinces and cities nationwide, and hundreds of businesses, drew nearly 1.2 million visitors in its first three days and continued to attract massive crowds in the following days.

Bustling tourism across localities nationwide

Many other localities have also reported sharp increases in visitor numbers and rising revenues.

Ho Chi Minh City served 1.45 million tourists during the holiday, up nearly 15% compared to the same period last year, including 45,600 international visitors. The southern hub recorded around 300,000 overnight stays with an average hotel occupancy of 87%. It reported an estimated 4.14 trillion VND (157 million USD) in tourism revenue.

Meanwhile, the central coastal city Da Nang, following its merger with former Quang Nam province, welcomed over 620,000 visitors, up 24% year-on-year, with international arrivals surging 49%. It raked in a over 2.2 trillion VND (83.37 million USD) in revenue, a 28% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

In Hai Phong, tourist arrivals exceeded 1 million, up 8% from 2024, including more than 29,500 international visitors.

Meanwhile, Quang Ninh, home to UNESCO-recognised Ha Long Bay, welcomed about 339,000 visitors, equivalent to 75% of the same period in 2024, including 65,000 foreigners and 274,000 domestic travelers. Its tourism revenue in the period was estimated at 932 billion VND, or 90% of last year’s figure.

Vu Quoc Tri, Secretary General of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said that the early and widespread promotion of the National Day holiday, tied to the country’s historic milestone, helped boost tourist numbers, particularly domestic travelers. Tourism businesses, especially in Hanoi, made strong efforts to accommodate the record surge in visitors.

꧅ He noted that this is a positive signal for Vietnam’s tourism sector, providing momentum for the industry to meet its 2025 targets in both visitor growth and revenue./.