Japanese arrivals to Ho Chi Minh City surge, boosting Vietnam-Japan tourism ties

The trend was highlighted at a tourism networking and promotion seminar held in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday.

The seminar, part of the 11th Vietnam-Japan Festival, brought together tourism promotion agencies and travel companies from both countries.

Participants reviewed the potential of the Japanese visitor market - one of Ho Chi Minh City’s six largest international source markets - and discussed ways to expand tourism cooperation in the coming years.

Japanese market shows room for growth

The number of Japanese visitors to the city rose from around 300,000 in 2024 to nearly 385,000 in 2025, averaging annual growth of about 28 percent between 2022 and 2025, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism.

However, the figure has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, suggesting further room for growth, said Le Truong Hien Hoa, deputy director of the city’s tourism department.

Vietnam has introduced several measures to attract more Japanese tourists, including easier visa policies, expanded conference and exhibition facilities, and improved service quality.

Ho Chi Minh City also has an advantage in the MICE tourism segment - meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions - as it was the first locality in Vietnam to introduce policies aimed at attracting large visitor groups and major events.

Two infrastructure projects developed with Japanese support - the Thu Thiem Tunnel and Metro Line 1 linking Ben Thanh and Suoi Tien - are also seen as symbols of bilateral cooperation.

The projects have helped reshape the city’s urban landscape while offering new experiences for visitors.

The city also plans to encourage airlines to increase flight frequencies and open more direct routes to Japanese destinations.

Expanding cooperation

Japan has also become a popular destination for Vietnamese travelers, particularly for winter tourism, cultural experiences and regional cuisine.

In addition to regular flights, new routes and charter services are increasingly being introduced, said Matsumoto, chief representative of the Japan National Tourism Organization in Vietnam.

“This trend expands access to new destinations in Japan for Vietnamese tourists while creating more opportunities for cooperation between travel companies in both countries,” he said.

JNTO representatives said the networking event would give Vietnamese travel companies more opportunities to explore tourism products and experiences across Japan’s regions.

Japanese companies will also have the chance to find partners in Vietnam, one of the region’s fastest-growing outbound travel markets.

At this year’s Vietnam-Japan Festival, Takebe Tsutomu, honorary chairman of the Japanese organizing committee, said Vietnam Airlines had launched a charter flight linking New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido with Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.