In 2025, Vietnam’s tourism sector has not only achieved a full recovery but has set historic records, emerging as a primary engine for socio-economic growth.

In the first 11 months of 2025, the total number of international tourists to Vietnam has reached more than 19.1 million, which increased by 20.9% compared to the number of a year earlier. This number is the highest breakthrough of Vietnam, surpassing its pre-pandemic peak of more than 18 million arrivals in 2019, according to the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.

Vietnam, currently implementing the Green Tourism Development Program for the 2023–2025 period, reaffirmed its commitment to building sustainable destination models, enhancing digital transformation, reducing carbon emissions, and spreading benefits to local communities.

On the morning of November 7, the garden within the Vietnamese Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, was filled with laughter and chatter as more than 40 international guests attended a Vietnamese cooking class. The participants included members of the International Diplomatic Spouses Association in South Africa and representatives of the South African Women’s Association.