10:21:00 AM | 9/4/2026
Vietnam's tourism sector is having a record year. The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) recorded close to 13.9 million international arrivals in the first seven months of 2026, up 13.8% year-on-year.
Klook, a leading pan-regional experiences platform in Asia Pacific, is backing that momentum with two new strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) partnerships and its KREATORVERSE 2026 content creator summit, held in Da Nang and Phu Quoc in late August.
Vietnam: a market on the rise
Vietnam continues to cement its position among Asia's fastest-growing destinations, and Klook’s internal data mirrors this trend, recording a 72% year-on-year surge in Vietnam travel demand for 2026.
Notably, travelers are increasingly exploring beyond traditional hotspots, with significant demand for emerging destinations. While Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi remain popular transit hubs in Vietnam, Klook is seeing significant growth of 30% to 40% for secondary cities such as Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Sapa, and Ha Long. Alongside that, there is a slew of fast-growing emerging destinations such as Tay Ninh, Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh), and Haiphong, recording a growth of 120% to over 200%, a signal of broadening traveler appetite for Vietnam's less-traversed destinations.
Building the ecosystem, not just distributing it
The new partnerships with Vinpearl and Sun Hospitality and Entertainment, two of Vietnam's largest attraction operators, deepen Klook's presence in the destinations already driving Vietnam's tourism boom.
"Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing travel markets in Asia, and these partnerships reflect our long-term commitment to shaping how that growth happens, not just capturing it," says CS Soong, Vice President, Corporate Development at Klook. "Beyond distributing Vietnam's extensive portfolio of experiences to our customers, we're actively helping build the ecosystem to curate them and make them more discoverable, working alongside partners like Vinpearl and Sun Hospitality Entertainment to develop the supply behind Vietnam's next wave of destinations."
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"As Vietnam's tourism sector continues to grow, we want Vinpearl to be at the heart of that story, welcoming more of the world to Phú Quốc, Nha Trang, and beyond. Our partnership with Klook is an important step toward that ambition, connecting international travelers with the destinations we're building for Vietnam's future,” says Tran Thu Thuy, Deputy CEO of Sales & Marketing, Vinpearl. |
The new MOUs focus on curating experiences that support destination development, while strengthening how Klook drives and captures demand for Vietnam. Under the MOUs, Klook and its partners will collaborate across three areas:
Marketing engagement: joint offline activations, on-ground events, and content creator familiarization trips, targeting key markets such as Southeast Asia, India, China, and Vietnam (domestic).
Strategic expansion and product development: supporting new site launches and curating exclusive offerings and deals.
Data-sharing and performance review: regular exchange of on-the-ground market insights to inform joint planning.
Experience-led travel: the new source of destination competitiveness
Asia is proving increasingly resilient as a travel region, drawing a growing share of global demand amidst shifting travel patterns. Within that growth, the depth and distinctiveness of on-the-ground experiences is what increasingly sets individual destinations apart.
Klook’s latest Travel Pulse 2026 study shows how experiences are driving travel decisions in 2026 and beyond. 23% of APAC travelers begin planning with a specific activity and determine their destination from there, and 73% of APAC travelers say they would visit a secondary or lesser-known city specifically to attend a unique local event, festival, or activity.
This commitment and push was anchored by Klook’s KREATORVERSE 2026 global creator summit event, held in late August across Da Nang and Phu Quoc. The Vietnam edition brought together over 120 content creators from 17 markets, alongside regional and local media, tourism boards, and merchant partners, to spotlight and surface Vietnam's key destinations and experiences for online social discovery.
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"Sun Hospitality and Entertainment (S.H.E)'s hotels, resorts, and attractions sit in some of Vietnam's most iconic and increasingly in-demand regions. As more travelers look to Vietnam for their next trip, we want Sun Hospitality and Entertainment (S.H.E)'s destinations to be part of that journey. Our partnership with Klook is a step toward bringing these experiences to more travelers around the world. We also hope that the innovative solutions developed through this partnership will serve as a catalyst not only for Sun Hospitality & Entertainment (S.H.E), but also for Vietnam's tourism industry—accelerating digital transformation, enhancing the overall visitor experience, and setting new benchmarks for service excellence,” says Tran Nguyen, Deputy CEO, Sun Hospitality and Entertainment, Sun Group. |
By Vietnam Business Forum
