Thailand Faces A Tourism Challenge Like Never Before As Vietnam Wins Over Chinese Travelers With Modern Infrastructure, Scenic Routes, And Cost-effective Travel Packages

Published on August 14, 2025

Thailand, agelong considered nan apical Southeast Asian destination for Chinese tourists, is now facing fierce title arsenic Vietnam emerges arsenic nan preferred prime successful 2025. After welcoming 6.73 cardinal Chinese visitors successful 2024—nearly double Vietnam’s 3.73 million—Thailand has seen a slowdown, pinch conscionable 2.69 cardinal arrivals from China successful nan first 7 months of 2025, while Vietnam attracted 3.11 million. Boosted by modern infrastructure, elastic visa policies, affordable recreation options, and improved connectivity done flights and separator crossings, Vietnam is quickly capturing nan Chinese tourism market, reshaping location recreation patterns, and driving economical maturation successful some bluish and coastal provinces.

In 2024, Thailand continued to predominate arsenic nan starring Southeast Asian destination for Chinese tourists, welcoming an awesome 6.73 cardinal visitors from China. This fig astir doubled nan number of Chinese travelers who visited Vietnam during nan aforesaid period, which stood astatine 3.73 million. However, nan tourism scenery successful 2025 shows a important shift. After nan first 7 months of nan year, Vietnam has already received 3.11 cardinal Chinese visitors, surpassing Thailand’s 2.69 million. Based connected these trends, Thailand is expected to pull only astir 5 cardinal Chinese visitors by nan extremity of 2025, highlighting a notable slowdown successful maturation compared to its location neighbor.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has acknowledged nan rising title among destinations crossed Southeast Asia and beyond. Countries worldwide are dedicating important resources to pull Chinese tourists, who stay 1 of nan astir lucrative segments successful world travel. Vietnam, successful particular, is emerging arsenic a beardown competitor acknowledgment to its caller and vibrant tourism image, quickly processing infrastructure, and comparatively cost-effective recreation options. These factors make Vietnam an progressively appealing prime for Chinese travelers seeking caller experiences astatine reasonable prices.

Chinese visitors person quickly go nan starring root of world visitors for Vietnam. By nan midpoint of 2025, nan number of Chinese arrivals had already surpassed 80% of nan full recorded successful 2024. Tourism businesses study that a increasing stock of these travelers are entering Vietnam done onshore separator points, including Quang Ninh, Lang Son, and Lao Cai. In addition, nonstop flights from aggregate Chinese cities to Vietnam’s awesome destinations—such arsenic Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc—are facilitating easier entree and enhancing convenience for travelers.

Northern Vietnam has emerged arsenic a peculiarly celebrated region for Chinese visitors. The emblematic tourer way often follows nan Quang Ninh – Hanoi – Ninh Binh corridor, offering a operation of taste experiences, earthy landscapes, and practice sites. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s coastal regions and land resorts, including Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc, proceed to tie ample numbers of Chinese visitors owed to their pristine beaches, modern edifice facilities, and robust aerial connectivity. At present, location are astir 460 flights per week operating betwixt China and various Vietnamese destinations, ensuring businesslike recreation and accommodating nan increasing demand.

Travel patterns among Chinese visitors are besides evolving. Increasingly, visitors are opting for independent travel, mini group tours, family vacations, and business trips. This inclination marks a displacement distant from nan accepted exemplary of ample chartered group tours organized by recreation agencies. Many travelers now use for e-visas online, readying their ain itineraries and booking accommodations and activities via nan extended improvement of online recreation platforms. This independent recreation inclination not only gives visitors much elasticity but besides allows section businesses to prosecute straight pinch visitors, offering customized services and experiences.

Looking ahead, Vietnam is taking proactive steps to further boost Chinese tourism. APEC Travel has announced plans to coordinate charter flights from Kunming to Van Don successful Quang Ninh, operating 3 times per week. These flights are designed to supply shorter recreation times and little costs compared to nan erstwhile modes of overland aliases train travel. By improving convenience and reducing recreation expenses, this inaugural is expected to pull visitors from nan ample marketplace of Yunnan province, a region pinch a beardown liking successful visiting Vietnam.

The effect of these developments is expected to widen beyond Quang Ninh. Neighboring provinces and regions are apt to use from nan influx of Chinese tourists, contributing to section economical maturation done spending connected hotels, restaurants, attractions, and transport. Furthermore, nan description of aerial recreation options betwixt Vietnam and China supports semipermanent tourism development, creating opportunities for businesses to innovate and diversify their offerings.

Vietnam’s tourism assemblage is entering a play of move growth, pinch Chinese visitors playing a pivotal role. The operation of earthy beauty, taste richness, modern infrastructure, and elastic recreation policies positions nan state arsenic a competitory replacement to accepted destinations for illustration Thailand. As recreation patterns proceed to evolve, and pinch strategical initiatives specified arsenic charter flights from Yunnan, Vietnam is well-poised to fortify its position arsenic a premier destination for Chinese visitors successful nan coming years.

Thailand’s long-held lead successful Chinese tourism is being challenged arsenic Vietnam surpasses it successful 2025, attracting millions of visitors pinch affordable travel, modern infrastructure, and elastic visa options.

Overall, nan numbers from 2025 bespeak a promising displacement successful location tourism flows, highlighting Vietnam’s increasing entreaty and nan challenges faced by Thailand successful maintaining its dominance. For nan Vietnamese tourism industry, this is an opportunity to capitalize connected its advantages, pull a divers scope of visitors, and make economical benefits that widen crossed aggregate localities. With continued finance successful infrastructure, connectivity, and recreation facilitation, Vietnam is mounting nan shape for sustained maturation and an progressively salient domiciled successful nan Southeast Asian tourism market.