In early 2026, Mordor Intelligence published an updated Vietnam Online Travel Market Size, Share, Statistics & Research Report sizing the segment at $2.87 billion in 2025, with a 2031 forecast of $4.69 billion (8.55% CAGR). It's the most rigorous public sizing we've found of how Vietnamese tourism actually books — by which platform, on which device, in which payment method, and across which travel category.
The structure of the market matters more than the headline number. Mobile dominates (72.77% of transactions). The big three OTAs (Booking, Agoda, Traveloka) hold ~80% share. Digital wallets are now the largest single payment method. For travellers planning Vietnam trips, this is a direct map of where to book, how, and why.
What the report shows
Market size and growth
| Metric | 2025 | 2031 forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Online travel market size | $2.87B | $4.69B |
| CAGR (2025–2031) | — | 8.55% |
| Online share of total tourism economy | ~9% | (rising as offline booking declines) |
8.55% CAGR is solid but not spectacular — slower than the Vietnamese culinary tourism market's 13.92% (see our culinary market summary) and slightly slower than the broader Vietnamese tourism economy. The reason is base effect: online travel has been growing fast for years and is now well-established; the easy growth has happened.
By booking type
| Segment | 2025 share | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Air ticketing | 47.62% | Steady |
| Hotels and packages | (second largest) | Steady |
| Railway ticketing | (smaller) | 12.48% CAGR (fastest) |
Air dominance is unsurprising — flights are expensive enough that even a 5% online booking penetration generates large absolute revenue. The railway-fastest finding is interesting: Vietnam's transport infrastructure is gradually moving online, and international visitors are increasingly booking the Reunification Express through online channels rather than at stations.
By platform
| Platform | 2025 share | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | 72.77% | 13.14% CAGR |
| Desktop | 27.23% | Declining annually |
Vietnam's mobile-first travel market is among the most extreme in Asia. The under-40 booker dominates, smartphone penetration is high, and Vietnamese-language mobile UX (especially for Booking, Agoda, and Traveloka) has been polished over a decade. Desktop is declining absolutely, not just relatively.
By traveller origin
| Segment | 2025 share | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 62.78% | (slower than international) |
| International | 37.22% | 13.86% CAGR |
International growth at nearly double the overall market rate reflects post-pandemic recovery momentum, visa-policy reforms, and the fundamental arrivals growth story.
By payment method
| Method | 2025 share | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Digital wallets | 46.12% | 15.2% annually |
| Cards | 31% | Steady |
| Bank transfers, cash | Smaller | Variable |
Vietnam's digital wallets — primarily MoMo, ZaloPay, and VNPay — have leapfrogged credit cards as the dominant payment method. International travellers usually still pay by card; domestic Vietnamese travellers overwhelmingly pay by wallet.
By geography
| Region | 2025 share | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Vietnam | 47.10% | Steady |
| Central Vietnam | (smaller share) | 13.44% CAGR (fastest) |
| Northern Vietnam | Steady share | Modest growth |
The Central Vietnam acceleration is consistent with Hoi An / Da Nang / Hue's tourism boom and the broader resort-coast investment story. HCMC remains the single largest revenue hub, but the growth lead is in the centre.
What this means for your trip
1. Book on your phone — Vietnamese platforms are tuned for it
If you're booking flights, trains, hotels, or activities for a Vietnam trip, the Vietnamese mobile UX is the product Vietnamese tourism has actually optimised for. Booking.com, Agoda, and Traveloka all have mobile apps that are noticeably better than their desktop sites — faster load, integrated payment, easier rebooking. Book on the app rather than a desktop browser if you have the choice.
2. Use Booking, Agoda, or Traveloka for price discovery — but check direct for niche operators
The big three OTAs (~80% combined market share) are excellent for breadth and price comparison. They're less useful for:
- Small homestays and ethnic-minority villages — many aren't on the major platforms, or are listed at OTA-margin-inclusive prices.
- Boutique cooking classes and local food tours — Klook is more useful than the OTAs here; direct booking is often cheaper.
- Specialised operators (motorbike tours, photography tours, multi-day Ha Giang Loop guides) — direct booking captures more value for both you and the operator.
The pattern: OTA for the standardised parts of the trip (flights, mainstream hotels), direct or specialist platforms for the experiential parts.
3. Railway ticketing is the most-improved booking category
The 12.48% CAGR for railway ticketing is the standout segment-growth number. Five years ago, booking the Reunification Express required either a station visit or a third-party agent that took a meaningful margin. Now you can book directly through Vietnam Railways' improved online platform or via the OTAs.
For travellers planning a north-south Vietnam circuit, the train-booking improvement is a meaningful experience upgrade. Our transport hub covers the practical specifics.
4. Digital wallets are not just for locals — but international travellers don't strictly need them
Tourist-facing operators all accept international credit cards. You don't need a Vietnamese digital wallet to book or pay. But:
- Some smaller operators (especially street food, market vendors, neighborhood spas) accept only cash or Vietnamese wallets.
- MoMo and ZaloPay can be linked to international Visa/Mastercard cards, with some friction. If you're staying for 2+ weeks and want to use cashless payment at small local businesses, it's worth setting up.
- Cash is still useful in rural areas, ethnic-minority villages, and the more rural parts of the Central Highlands and Mekong Delta.
5. Watch for direct-booking discounts
Because OTAs charge operator commissions of 10–25%, many Vietnamese operators offer discounts for direct bookings via their own websites or WhatsApp/Zalo. This is common for:
- Cooking classes — direct booking saves 10–15% vs Klook listing.
- Cruise operators on Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay — direct rates are typically 5–12% below OTA rates.
- Boutique hotels in Hoi An — direct rates are often available with email negotiation.
The OTA market dominance means most operators list on OTAs for visibility but want to convert visibility to direct bookings where possible. Cross-checking before final booking is a 5-minute exercise that saves real money.
6. The Central Vietnam growth signals where to invest your trip if you're choosing one region
If you have to pick one region for a 7–10 day Vietnam trip, the data favours Central Vietnam (Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue) — the 13.44% regional CAGR reflects both supply growth (more options) and demand attractiveness (the food, the beaches, the UNESCO old town). Northern Vietnam (Hanoi + Ha Long + Sapa) remains the more diverse region for a first trip; Southern Vietnam (HCMC + Mekong Delta + Phu Quoc) for a beach-focused trip. The data isn't telling you to skip the others — it's telling you Central is the fastest-improving infrastructure.
Limitations & caveats
- Mordor Intelligence is a paid market-research firm. Public summary methodology is industry-standard but not independently audited; numbers carry roughly ±15% confidence intervals typical of the category.
- The 8.55% CAGR is a forecast, not a measured rate. Actual outcomes through 2031 will diverge.
- The ~80% OTA share is a top-line concentration estimate. Niche segments (boutique stays, specialist tours) have very different platform mixes — direct-booking and specialist platforms (Klook, GetYourGuide, Tripadvisor Experiences) hold significant share in those subsegments.
- The mobile/desktop split is among Vietnamese-resident users; international visitors using their home-country devices may have a different desktop share.
- Digital wallet payment data is for Vietnamese-resident bookers. International visitors paying for Vietnam trips from abroad mostly use cards; the 46.12% wallet share doesn't apply to inbound tourism payment.
- The full Mordor report is paywalled. Our summary is based on the public marketing-page content. Methodology and regional sub-segment tables aren't fully visible.
Sources & further reading
- Primary source: Mordor Intelligence — Vietnam Online Travel Market Size, Share, Statistics & Research Report 2031 — public summary; full report paywalled.
- Companion: Statista — Travel & Tourism Vietnam — alternative sizing methodology with comparable order of magnitude.
- Industry context: Vietnam Briefing — Tourism Growth Trajectory, Policies, and Opportunities.
Related on this site:
- Vietnam tourism revenue & sector breakdown — broader macro data
- Vietnam culinary tourism market growth — fast-growing segment in detail
- Transport hub — practical guide for booking flights, trains, and buses