AKP Phnom Penh, July 07, 2025 —

Vietnam recorded the highest growth in international tourist arrivals in the Asia–Pacific region during the first quarter of 2025, according to the May edition of the World Tourism Barometer released by the United Nations Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism).

Vietnam led the region with a 30% increase in international arrivals compared to Q1 2024, and ranked second in terms of recovery rate, with a 34% rise over the same period in 2019.

Globally, Vietnam ranked sixth in international visitor growth, up 30% year-on-year and placed fourth in tourism revenue growth, with a 29% increase compared to Q1 2024.

This remarkable performance has made Vietnam a standout in the region, especially as Asia–Pacific continues to face headwinds and strives to regain pre-COVID-19 pandemic momentum.

The UN Tourism report noted that over 300 million international tourist arrivals were recorded worldwide in Q1, an increase of more than 14 million compared to the same period in 2024, equivalent to a 5% rise year-on-year and 3% above Q1 2019 levels.

Regionally, Europe remained the world’s leading destination, welcoming 125 million international visitors in the first three months of 2025, up 2% year-on-year. Asia–Pacific posted the highest growth rate at 12%.

In terms of recovery compared to Q1 2019, the Middle East led all regions, reaching 144% of pre-pandemic levels. Asia–Pacific reached 91%, signaling steady progress in its post-COVID rebound.

Despite ongoing challenges and cautious outlooks, UN Tourism has maintained its global forecast for tourism growth in 2025 at between 3% and 5%.

AKP-VNA