Vietnam Golf Coast gears up for tourism highs

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July 10, 2026

DA NANG, 10 July 7, 2026: Vietnam Golf Coast clubs are gearing up for one of their strongest seasons yet as Danang enjoys record tourism growth and prepares to welcome even more international visitors in the months ahead.

The city welcomed a record 7.74 million overnight visitors during the first five months of 2026, a 20.9% year-on-year increase. International arrivals climbed 23.6% to 4.18 million, while domestic visitors rose 17.9% to 3.55 million.

*Danang is experiencing record visitor numbers in 2026.*

The recent rollout of Vietnam’s digital arrival card in Da Nang is expected to build further on that momentum by making travel to Central Vietnam even more seamless for overseas visitors.

For golfers, the timing could hardly be better.

Few destinations in Asia combine such a concentration of championship golf with beaches, luxury resorts, UNESCO World Heritage sites and an acclaimed culinary scene. Within a little more than an hour’s drive, visitors can play courses designed by Colin Montgomerie, Luke Donald, Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones Jr. As the region enters its peak playing season, Vietnam Golf Coast clubs are unveiling major tournaments, enhanced playing experiences and compelling seasonal offers designed to build on growing international demand.

At Ba Na Hills Golf Club, Night Golf continues to grow in popularity, giving golfers the chance to play the Luke Donald-designed championship course under floodlights every Wednesday and Friday. Available over both nine and 18 holes, the experience combines cooler evening conditions with a post-round food-and-beverage offering.

The course has also returned to peak condition following its annual coring and summer maintenance programme, setting the stage for the busiest months of the golfing calendar. Attention is now turning to the prestigious IMG Trophy Tournament 2026 in September, when 132 golfers will compete in one of the club’s flagship annual events.

“Our course has recovered exceptionally well and is in outstanding condition heading into our busiest period of the year,” said Ba Na Hills Golf Club General Manager Andrew McGregor. “Night Golf has become one of our defining experiences, while the IMG Trophy Tournament 2026 showcases the quality of golf and hospitality that golfers can expect when they visit Central Vietnam.”

Meanwhile, Montgomerie Links Golf Club will host its 16th Club Championships on 22 August 2026, bringing together members and guests for one of the highlights of the club’s annual calendar.

Beyond celebrating the spirit of golf, the Club Championships also reflect Montgomerie Links’ ongoing commitment to the community through its Green Hope CSR projects. This year, the tournament will raise funds to support underprivileged students in Da Nang, helping them pursue their educational dreams.

“Our Club Championships have become about much more than competition,” said Montgomerie Links Golf Club Manager Le Vo Hoang Van. “They bring golfers together, showcase everything that makes Central Vietnam such a rewarding golf destination and continue to support an initiative that is making a real difference in our local community.”

(Source: Vietnam Golf Coast Clubs)

Crystal sets up 2027 Wellness at Sea retreats

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July 10, 2026

MELBOURNE, 10 July 2026: Two Crystal ships, Serenity and Symphony, are promoting four new Wellness at Sea retreats for 2027, focusing on fitness, nutrition, mindfulness and longevity science.

Each sailing is built around four core pillars designed to support a holistic approach to self-care: Culinary nutrition, physical activity, mental wellbeing and education in longevity science.

Guests can participate in nutrition consultations, cooking demonstrations and culinary workshops.

Sailings

Fort Lauderdale to Las Palmas, Canary Islands | 20 March – 2 April, 2027 — Crystal Symphony.

Panama to New York | 3 August – 3 September, 2027 — Crystal Serenity.

New York to San Juan | 12-21 October 2027 — Crystal Serenity.

Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale | 8-22 November 2027 — Crystal Symphony.

Specialists onboard include Jenni Demus, Yoga and Mental Wellbeing Specialist; Minna McHale, Strength and Fitness Specialist; Lacey Cleland, Fitness and Dance Workout Specialist; Mandi Appelberg, Fitness and Sound Healer Specialist; Eva Estandler, Yoga and Sound Healer Specialist; Chef Abbie Gellman, Culinary Nutrition Specialist; Sabrina Sawall, Yoga and Sound Healer Specialist; and Mary Ann Adornato, Pilates Specialist and Doctor of Physical Therapy.

(Source: Crystal)

PATA partners with Chimelong Group

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July 10, 2026

BANGKOK, 10 July 2026: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) welcomes Guangzhou Chimelong Group Co Ltd, a leading Chinese theme park group, as the association’s newest ‘Preferred Partner’.

A prominent cultural tourism conglomerate providing leisure and MICE offerings, Chimelong Group aims to support the Asia-Pacific visitor economy through tourism research and the exchange of data and intelligence to drive initiatives that advance responsible tourism practices in the region.

“As one of Asia’s most innovative tourism enterprises, Chimelong Group has demonstrated how world-class attractions and experiences can inspire travel, create economic opportunities, and contribute to destination development,” said PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid.

Key partnership elements

Enhance the value and perceived value of the Asia Pacific visitor economy.

Strengthen engagement between governments and national tourism organisations.

Promote the benefits of reliable and comprehensive tourism intelligence.

By bringing together PATA’s industry expertise and its global network with Chimelong Group’s innovative approach to cultural tourism and hospitality, the partnership creates opportunities for future cooperation to support the long-term growth and success of the visitor economy across Asia Pacific.

*Photo credit: Chimelong Group.* *About us|Group-En*.

About Chimelong Group
Chimelong Group, established in 1989, is a cultural tourism enterprise operating theme parks, resort hotels, cultural performances, dining, business conventions, and educational programmes. Over the past 36 years, the group has developed three world-renowned cultural tourism resorts: Chimelong Guangzhou Resort, Chimelong Hengqin Resort, and Chimelong Qingyuan Resort.
Together, they feature seven major theme parks, nine resort hotels (with over 10,000 rooms), and three international circus theatres. It is ranked among the top theme park groups globally, and Chimelong welcomes over 40 million visitors each year.

(Source: PATA)

Aviation primed to move 10 billion passengers

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July 10, 2026

SINGAPORE, 10 July 2026: Aviation is preparing to move twice as many passengers within a generation without doubling the number of airports, the fleet, or the people standing at the borders.

SITA’s Impact Report 2025 sets out how the industry is closing that gap, and the answer is increasingly software rather than steel and concrete.

The industry will carry 8 billion passengers a year within 20 to 25 years, heading toward 10 billion by 2050, according to IATA. Drawn from a year of work with airlines, airports, governments, and travel partners worldwide, the SITA Impact Report 2025 tracks how technology is becoming the principal means by which the industry adds capacity, manages disruption, and reduces its environmental footprint.

SITA CEO David Lavorel, said: “With passenger numbers heading toward 10 billion a year by 2050, the question is unavoidable: how do we move twice as many travellers without doubling our infrastructure? The SITA Impact Report 2025 shows how that shift is already underway. Airports are scaling capacity within existing buildings, avoiding the costs and timelines of new construction. Governments are clearing borders before passengers ever reach a queue or an officer’s booth. AI is moving out of pilot programs and into the operations rooms where flights are run. None of this is one company’s achievement. It is a shared tech transformation, where airlines, airports, governments, and partners are powering the future of air transport together.”

Some of the most visible changes are at the border. In Singapore, residents now move through immigration in 10 seconds with no passport required, using face and iris biometrics, in what is the world’s first passport-less border clearance. In Aruba, pre-cleared passengers complete border processing on arrival in as little as eight seconds, 78% faster than before, by combining digital travel credentials with biometric checks. Behind these visible shifts, more than 271 million travellers a year now receive a risk assessment supported by SITA before they arrive, most of which are completed in under four seconds.

AI is moving in the same direction, out of trials and into live operations. SITA OptiFlight uses machine learning and digital-twin modelling to recommend fuel-efficient climb and cruise profiles to pilots; in 2025, it processed 2.9 million flights for 59 airline customers, saving 127,732 tons of fuel and the equivalent of 403,633 tons of CO₂.

At Toronto Pearson and Abu Dhabi Airports, AI-driven Total Airport Management tools are recovering minutes per turnaround, gains that compound across the day. At Thai Airways, AI-driven routing in SITA WorldTracer® Auto Reflight automatically rebooks mishandled bags onto the next available flight, reducing reconciliation time from three minutes to one second.

The same technology that scales capacity makes the network more resilient when a disruption hits. In a 2025 proof of concept at France’s Reims Control Centre, air navigation service provider DSNA gave controllers the same live weather picture that pilots and dispatchers already use, cutting weather-driven delays by up to 65% and saving up to 105,000 minutes of delay over 21 days of weather-affected operations. When a 2024 CrowdStrike outage disrupted airline systems worldwide, more than 460 flights continued to run on SITA Maestro DCS. At Hajj 2025, SITA’s around-the-clock operational support and automated incident management kept airline and airport systems running with zero downtime and zero major incidents.

Across the rest of the journey, the industry is moving in a similar direction. Lost luggage has fallen sharply for airlines participating in SITA’s partnership with Apple, now joined by Google: for bags equipped with an Apple AirTag, the number of truly lost bags fell by 90% when location sharing was used through SITA WorldTracer®. In Europe, Frankfurt Airport’s new Terminal 3, designed to handle up to 19 million passengers a year in its initial phase, was delivered around a digital-first common-use design developed with SITA and CCM.

The strong customer relationships outlined throughout the report were also reflected in SITA’s financial performance. Revenue grew 7% to USD1.71 billion in 2025, the fourth consecutive year of 7 to 8% growth, with continued R&D investment, the strategic acquisition of airport interior design leader CCM, and multimillion-dollar co-innovation with over 30 customers through SITA Labs. On its own sustainability, SITA cut emissions by 1.3% year on year, taking total reductions to 32% against a 2019 base year. SITA now sources 90% of its electricity from renewable sources across its offices worldwide.

The full SITA Impact Report 2025 is available at SITA | Impact Report 2025.

MATTA: Tourism vehicles miss diesel subsidies

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July 10, 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, 10 July 2026: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has cautioned that excluding tourism transport vehicles from the government’s diesel subsidy programme will impact Malaysians as well as tour operators.

MATTA acknowledges the government’s commitment to fiscal prudence but firmly disputes the recent characterisation by the Minister of Finance II, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, that diesel subsidies for tourism transport operators would only benefit foreign tourists.

MATTA strongly believes that a broader view of how these vehicles are used would support the case for their inclusion in the scheme.

“Tourism vehicles serve both Malaysian and international tourists every day. Licensed tourism transport operators provide services not only for inbound visitors but also for domestic holidaymakers, school groups, corporate events, incentive travel, religious pilgrimages, educational tours, and community programmes.

It is therefore incorrect to assume that diesel subsidies for tourism transport operators would benefit only foreign tourists.

To say this subsidy only helps foreigners ignores the reality of how our tourism transport industry operates. This decision, if left unchanged, will raise fares for Malaysians and may even force them to consider utilising unlicensed service providers,” said MATTA President Nigel Wong.

The removal of diesel subsidies will directly increase operating costs for tourism transport operators, which will inevitably be passed on through higher fares and more expensive travel packages for both Malaysians and international visitors.

As the country accelerates its Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, higher transport costs threaten to undercut the very affordability that drives domestic tourism and inbound arrivals.

More affordable tourism services would encourage Malaysians to explore destinations within the country rather than travel abroad, while also enhancing Malaysia’s appeal to international visitors.

This would support the growth of both domestic and inbound tourism, in line with the government’s objectives to strengthen the tourism sector.

Higher tourism activity generates a multiplier effect throughout the economy. Increased visitor arrivals and domestic travel create greater business opportunities for hotels, restaurants, attractions, retailers, transport operators, and local communities.

This translates into higher business revenue, more employment opportunities, increased tax collections, greater foreign exchange earnings, and stronger economic growth. In the longer term, these economic benefits could outweigh the costs of providing targeted diesel subsidies to licensed tourism transport operators.

This issue is especially significant for destinations such as Sabah, where tourism relies heavily on road transportation due to the state’s vast geography and dispersed attractions.

High transport costs risk making destinations across Malaysia less competitive and could discourage both domestic and international travel, particularly as the nation intensifies its Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.

Tourism is an intensely competitive industry. Malaysia is competing directly with neighbouring Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, many of which continue to provide various forms of support to their tourism sectors. Any increase in operating costs reduces Malaysia’s competitiveness and may divert visitors to alternative destinations.

Since the onset of the global energy price crisis, MATTA has worked closely with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) to address the challenges faced by the tourism industry.

MATTA has presented its case to the Ministry of Finance for a review of the diesel subsidy programme’s exclusions.

MATTA’s request for a review

Review the exclusion of licensed tourism transport operators from the diesel subsidy programme, considering the broader Malaysian public they serve.

Engage with MOTAC and industry stakeholders to explore a targeted, well-governed subsidy mechanism for licensed operators.

Consider tourism transport as a strategic enabler of both domestic mobility and the tourism economy, in support of VM 2026.

The government has repeatedly emphasised the importance of tourism as a key contributor to the national economy. Ensuring that tourism transport operators remain competitive is fully aligned with that objective and with the aspirations of Visit Malaysia 2026.

(Source: MATTA)

Thailand’s cross-border spend grows 14%

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July 10, 2026

BANGKOK, 10 July 2026: Visa spotlighted Visa Destinations Thailand on Thursday as leaders from the financial services, tourism, technology and public sectors came together to explore how innovation, collaboration and connected commerce can help shape the future of travel and tourism.

Visa shared the latest travel trends shaping the future of tourism across Asia Pacific, as the region enters a new phase of momentum driven by travellers seeking meaningful experiences and by affluent consumers contributing a growing share of tourism spending.

As destinations compete for higher-value visitors, the focus is shifting from visitor volume to deeper engagement, higher spend and repeat visitation.

Visa also unveiled findings from its latest Thailand Travel Pulse report 2026, highlighting the continued strength of Thailand’s tourism recovery and evolving visitor behaviour.

The report showed that cross-border consumer spending in Thailand grew by 14% year-on-year, reflecting sustained momentum in international travel and growing confidence among global travellers.

The data also underscored Thailand’s enduring appeal among international visitors, with the US remaining the largest inbound market, followed by the UK and Germany. Beyond visitor volumes, the findings point to a more important shift in traveller behaviour; repeat visitors are a major driver of tourism value. While they represented only 20% of total cardholders, they generated 34% of total inbound spending.

The findings further showed that travellers are engaging with Thailand in increasingly diverse and localised ways. While shopping and lodging remained among the largest spending categories, some of the strongest growth came from everyday lifestyle activities, including quick-service restaurants, food and grocery purchases, and dining experiences. This reflects growing demand for more authentic and immersive ways to experience local culture and everyday life.

*Photo credit: Visa. Visa Thailand Country Manager Anthony Watson.*

Visa Thailand Country Manager Anthony Watson said: “As travel becomes more experience-led and digitally connected, the opportunity lies in creating seamless and rewarding experiences that inspire travellers not only to visit, but to engage more deeply, explore more of what Thailand has to offer and return more often.”

Thailand was the first market in Asia Pacific to activate Visa Destinations and the first globally to roll out the programme at a country level, reflecting the country’s strategic importance within the regional tourism landscape and Visa’s commitment to supporting Thailand’s long-term tourism ambitions.

Through Visa Destinations, Visa works on both sides of its network to attract travellers, elevate visitor experiences, and create greater value for local businesses and communities. By combining VisaNet-powered insights, payment innovation, ecosystem partnerships and expanded acceptance, the programme is designed to strengthen every stage of the traveller journey, from trip planning and booking to payments and on-the-ground experiences.

A key focus of the programme is to encourage longer stays, increase repeat visitation and help more merchants participate in the tourism economy. As part of Visa Destinations Thailand, Visa has already onboarded more than 50 merchants in Song Wat district, helping visitors discover one of Bangkok’s emerging cultural neighbourhoods while enabling more seamless digital payments.

Building on this momentum, Visa aims to expand digital payment acceptance to 56,000 small businesses nationwide, strengthening merchant participation across tourism-related sectors such as dining, retail, accommodation, transportation, attractions, wellness and local experiences. Through these efforts, Visa continues to support Thailand’s ambition to remain a leading global travel destination while creating more seamless, rewarding and inclusive experiences for visitors, businesses and local communities alike.

(Source: Visa)

Etihad signs MoU with Fastjet Zimbabwe

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July 10, 2026

HARARE, Zimbabwe, 10 July 2026: Etihad Airways and Fastjet Zimbabwe have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a new interline partnership, a codeshare agreement, and a frequent flyer partnership.

The collaboration will improve connections for guests, allowing them to book destinations currently flown by both airlines on a single ticket.

*Photo credit: Etihad. (left) Fastjet Chief Commercial Officer, Vivian Ruwuya and (right) Etihad Airways Chief Revenue & Commercial Officer, Arik De.*

The agreement was signed in Harare on 7 July 2026, with sales opening on 24 August 2026.

Under the partnership, guests travelling on Etihad can connect onward on Fastjet Zimbabwe to Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and Johannesburg, combining travel on both airlines.

The partnership builds on Etihad’s upcoming direct service between Abu Dhabi and Harare, launching on 24 March 2027, extending the airline’s reach beyond the Zimbabwean capital to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, and giving guests across Etihad’s network a simple way to reach them.

For Fastjet Zimbabwe, the partnership also opens the door to Abu Dhabi and Etihad’s wider global network. Those staying in the UAE capital will find a city that rewards slowing down, from the Corniche and the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat to the quiet of the desert beyond the city, with up to two complimentary hotel nights through the Abu Dhabi Stopover programme.

Fastjet Zimbabwe will become Etihad’s 32nd airline partner, with guests in the future enjoying frequent flyer benefits across both airlines.

Etihad Airways Chief Revenue & Commercial Officer, Arik De, said: “Africa is an important part of Etihad’s growth, and partnerships like this one with Fastjet Zimbabwe are how we extend our reach and open up more of the continent for our guests. From Harare to Victoria Falls, travellers can now plan their journey across Zimbabwe on a single ticket, and we look forward to building on this cooperation.”

Fastjet Chief Commercial Officer, Vivian Ruwuya, added: “This partnership opens up the world for our customers in Zimbabwe. From Harare, travellers can now connect onto Etihad’s global network and reach Abu Dhabi and destinations across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and beyond, all on a single ticket. We are proud to give the people of Zimbabwe easier access to so many more places.”

Travel under the partnership is available from 24 August 2026.

(Source: Etihad)

Anurak wins regenerative tourism award

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July 9, 2026

BANGKOK, 9 July 2026: Responsible tourism resort Anurak Lodge in southern Thailand won recognition for its Regenerative Tourism operations at the 2026 Responsible Tourism Awards Southeast Asia.

The award ceremony for regional winners took place in Sarawak, Malaysia, on 7 July, at the International Conference on Responsible Tourism and Hospitality (ICRTH).

*Photo credit: Anurak Lodge. Taking a lead role in reforestation, garden-to-table cultivation, composting, recycling and reducing energy consumption.*

Among six categories, Anurak Lodge earned acclaim for Regenerative Tourism, a category where tourism goes beyond reducing negative impacts and strives to leave a place in better condition than before.

The property, a 19-key ecolodge located on the border of Khao Sok National Park, in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, has previously won sustainability awards from the Pacific Asia Travel Association, Tourism Authority of Thailand, and SKAL.

Lodge manager, George Newling-Ward, accepted the award on 7 July at the ward ceremony in Miri, Sarawak.

At the ICRTH event, awards were also given to tourism operators for excellence in local economic benefits, diversity, equity and inclusion, nature-positive actions, cultural diversity, and adaptation to climate change.

Anruak Lodge was established in 2016 with the vision of creating tourism that benefits both people and nature through ecological recovery.

Rainforest Rising

Anurak Lodge’s Rainforest Rising project, for example, has been replacing commercial palm oil trees with wildlife-friendly indigenous species for seven years. Guests help plant young saplings such as black plum, Burmese grape tree, and cowa mangosteen. These indigenous species are good for insect pollination. They support bird and wildlife biodiversity.

(Source: Anurak Lodge)

Be first through the Canopy door

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July 9, 2026

BANGKOK, 9 July 2026: Canopy by Hilton Bangkok Sukhumvit is now accepting reservations ahead of opening its doors on 1 August 2026, marking the brand’s debut in Southeast Asia.

Located on Sukhumvit Soi 12, the hotel will introduce a locally inspired Asoke experience in one of Bangkok’s most connected neighbourhoods.

*Photo credit: Hilton. Canopy Bangkok Sukhumvit is now accepting reservations.*

Canopy by Hilton Bangkok Sukhumvit is located 600 metres from the Asoke BTS Skytrain station and a five-minute walk from the BTS-MRT interchange, placing guests within easy reach of the city’s dining, retail, nightlife, and business districts.

To celebrate its debut, Canopy by Hilton Bangkok Sukhumvit is inviting guests to experience the city with its exclusive “Asoke Unlocked” opening package, limited to the first 100 qualifying bookings. The package is available with a minimum two-night stay in a Canopy Courtyard Room or above.

Benefits of Asoke Unlocked

10,000 Hilton Honours Bonus Points.

THB500 dining credit, redeemable across the hotel’s restaurants and bars.

The “Asoke Unlocked” opening package is bookable now until 23 December 2026. Reservations are now open for stays from 1 August 2026. Rates start at around THB4,400, according to a Trip.com search for an August stay. However, a check of the Hilton booking site indicates that the flexible rate for a King Canopy Courtyard Room during the opening month of August is THB5,902.66 (room-only rate, including all fees and taxes).

About Canopy
The Canopy portfolio includes nearly 50 open properties across 15 countries and territories, with 45 under development worldwide. Canopy Hotels is a brand under the Hilton Group.

(Source: Hilton)

Searches show Vietnam rising in travel shortlists

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July 9, 2026

SINGAPORE, 9 July 2026: Digital travel platform Agoda recorded a close to 50% year-on-year rise in international accommodation searches for Vietnam during 2025

The data suggest the destination has moved decisively up travellers’ shortlists, likely fueled by a combination of policy reform, improved air access, and infrastructure investment that is reshaping how the world thinks about Vietnam as a place to visit.

Vietnam’s tourism growth in 2025 reflects investment across multiple fronts. The government extended its visa waiver list, raised permitted stays to 45 days for travellers from many markets, and introduced a 90-day multiple-entry e-visa.

Airport upgrades and accommodation development in secondary cities, including Da Nang, Sa Pa, and Phu Quoc, broadened the destination’s geographic reach.

National and foreign carriers have also launched or revived more than a dozen international routes in 2025 alone to key markets like India, North Asia, and Europe. The cumulative effect is captured in UN Tourism data cited in Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook Report, which recorded Vietnam as achieving the world’s fastest tourism growth rate in the first half of 2025.

Agoda Senior Director of Supply Vietnam and the Philippines, Lam Vu, shared: “Vietnam has done something that many destinations talk about, but few actually execute: it opened its doors, improved the roads, and built the rooms. And in doing so, it has done more than put itself on the map.

Vietnam has reshaped how new markets view Southeast Asia, and Agoda is committed to helping more travellers discover Vietnam for less.

Inbound interest: A broadening mix

The mix of origin markets searching for Vietnam on Agoda’s platform tells a story of widening reach. South Korea holds the top spot as Vietnam’s primary source market, with inbound accommodation searches up 28% in 2025. Regional markets are growing faster: the Philippines recorded a 129% rise in searches, moving from tenth to sixth in Agoda’s source market rankings for Vietnam, while India climbed 112% and Malaysia rose 68%.

Long-haul interest from Europe is also expanding, aided by Vietnam’s extended visa waiver programme. France posted a 217% increase in inbound searches, and Germany a 120% increase. The US has consistently ranked in Vietnam’s top ten origin markets by search volume on Agoda.

While markets in North Asia and ASEAN remain the primary volume drivers, South Asia and Europe are adding meaningful new interest from markets that were only lightly represented in prior years.

Where travellers are going

Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc remain Vietnam’s top five destinations on Agoda’s platform, and each posted year-on-year growth in accommodation searches. Da Nang recorded a 25% increase, Ho Chi Minh City a 26% increase, and Hanoi a 23% increase. Phu Quoc stood out with a 49% climb, pointing to growing traveller interest in Vietnam’s island and resort offerings beyond the two main gateway cities. This pattern aligns with Sa Pa’s recognition as Asia’s fastest-growing destination on Agoda’s platform and with insights from Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook Report, which suggests that traveller curiosity about Vietnam is extending well into its secondary cities and nature-focused regions.

“At Agoda, we see these initiatives aligning with rising traveller interest, and the data suggests this is only the beginning. Connectivity is a powerful catalyst, and as Vietnam becomes a more familiar name on travellers’ shortlists, the ripple effect across the region will only grow stronger in the years ahead. Agoda will continue working with our partners to localise and enrich their offerings to meet the evolving preferences of today’s travellers,” Vu added.

How travellers are engaging with Vietnam

Agoda survey data offers a window into what draws travellers to destinations like Vietnam. While 62% of respondents say relaxation is their primary motivation for travel, 31% cite culinary experiences and 25% cite cultural exploration. Vietnam’s mix of street food culture, historic cities, and nature-based attractions maps well to both groups.

Travellers may also be booking differently: for example, they may shift towards shorter trips that combine a city stay with pre-booked activities, instead of building itineraries around hotel stays and sightseeing-from-afar alone. Social and digital channels have also amplified interest in newer destinations within Vietnam, with secondary locations benefiting from increased visibility through platforms including TikTok. Activities available on Agoda in Vietnam include guided food tours in Hanoi, theme park visits in Phu Quoc, excursions to the Cu Chi Tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City, and day trips to Ninh Binh.

(Source: Agoda)

Vietnam Golf Coast gears up for tourism highs

Crystal sets up 2027 Wellness at Sea retreats

PATA partners with Chimelong Group

Aviation primed to move 10 billion passengers

MATTA: Tourism vehicles miss diesel subsidies

Thailand’s cross-border spend grows 14%

Etihad signs MoU with Fastjet Zimbabwe

Anurak wins regenerative tourism award

Be first through the Canopy door

Searches show Vietnam rising in travel shortlists

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