Hanoi, Saturday, 29 November 2025.
Vietnam’s international arrivals jumped sharply in 2025 as the United States joined traditional feeders such as China, India, Japan and South Korea, creating an acute demand shock for leisure infrastructure. Hanoi recorded a 22.1% year‑on‑year rise in arrivals in the first 11 months, while tourism revenue climbed about 20.7%, underscoring both volume and yield growth. For retail and F&B concessionaires, the immediate effect is higher peak traffic and stronger demand for midscale to upscale offerings; for developers and theme‑park operators, feasibility for greenfield projects and expansions materially improves. Short‑term priorities include revising capacity plans, securing distribution partnerships and airline connectivity, and stress‑testing workforce pipelines. Medium‑term considerations focus on navigating local land‑use rules, incentives that affect cost of capital, and embedding sustainability to meet regulatory and guest expectations. The strategic imperative for retail professionals: convert transient spikes into repeat visitors and per‑capita spend through targeted segmentation, loyalty offers and retail experiences.