With just over two months left in 2025, the UNWTO expects global travel to rise around five percent, with Vietnam showing strong growth rates. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre
The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) recently reported on travel trends for September, including analyses of international tourist markets and global tourism performance.
The UNWTO’s panel of experts recorded a confidence index of 120 points for the September-December period, up from 114 in May-August, projecting global tourism growth of between three percent and five percent for the full year.
According to VNAT, international travel continued to show positive momentum in the first six months of 2025.
Citing data from the UNWTO, the agency said nearly 690 million international arrivals were recorded worldwide, up five percent from the same period in 2024 and four percent higher than the pre-pandemic level.
“This is a positive sign reflecting sustained demand for travel, contributing to economic growth and employment,” the VNAT said.
UN Tourism Secretary Zurab Pololikashvili noted that the rise in global tourism and revenues in the January-June period underscored the sector’s strong rebound, while calling for efforts to maintain growth sustainably.
In 2024, global international tourism revenues reached a record US$1.73 trillion, up 14 percent compared to the pre-pandemic level.
Concern over rising transport, accommodation costs
According to the UNWTO, several destinations recorded impressive growth in international tourism revenues in the first half of 2025, including Japan (up 18 percent), the United Kingdom (up 13 percent), France (up nine percent), and Spain and Turkey (both up eight percent).
Major outbound travel markets also saw sharp increases in spending, with China and Spain both up 16 percent, the United Kingdom up 15 percent, Singapore up 10 percent, and South Korea up eight percent.
Despite the solid growth, the agency said the global tourism industry continues to face significant challenges.
Rising transport and accommodation costs are prompting travelers to choose closer destinations, shorten their stays, or spend more cautiously.
Economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions have also dampened traveler confidence, posing further risks to recovery.
In the Asia-Pacific region, where tourism is still in recovery mode, Vietnam stood out as the fastest-growing destination worldwide in early 2025, up 21 percent from a year earlier.
Over the first nine months, Vietnam welcomed 15.4 million international visitors, representing a 21.5-percent increase year on year.
The country expects arrivals to continue rising in the final months of the year, aiming to reach around 25 million international tourists in 2025.
Aviation, hospitality sectors post strong growth
According to the International Air Transport Association, both international passenger traffic and capacity rose seven percent in the first half compared with the same period last year.
Global hotel capacity also remained robust, with occupancy rates reaching 69 percent in June and 71 percent in July.
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