From Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet is very close
About 2 years ago, the story of going on vacation in Ba Ria - Vung Tau (old) or Phan Thiet is no longer a concern for tourists. The travel distance from Ho Chi Minh City to these areas is almost the same, even thanks to the formed highways, traveling to Phan Thiet is closer and more convenient than going to Ba Ria - Vung Tau.
According to records, Phan Thiet is witnessing a strong transformation thanks to a series of strategic infrastructure projects. Specifically, the Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway officially opened to traffic, shortening the travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to only about 2 hours, conveniently connecting the key economic zone in the South with the coastal tourism center of Lam Dong.
In addition, Phan Thiet airport - expected to receive its first flight in 2026 - is expected to welcome millions of visitors each year, making Phan Thiet one of the new "international tourism gateways" of Vietnam. When put into operation, domestic and international flights will shorten the travel time from Hanoi, Da Nang or other countries in the region to just over 1 hour.
Along with that, the North - South expressway in the East through Binh Thuan, Phan Thiet - Vinh Hao expressway, coastal routes and synchronous urban infrastructure are contributing to creating a "double boost": both promoting tourism and activating the demand for second home ownership, resorts and long-term investment.
Traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet takes only about 2 hours thanks to completed infrastructure.
During the holidays, millions of tourists visit tourist destinations such as Phan Thiet, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Cat Ba, and Ha Long. According to statistics, in the first 9 months of 2025, Vietnam welcomed more than 15.4 million international visitors, an increase of 21.5% over the same period last year; contributing to tourism revenue reaching nearly 70 trillion VND.
In particular, Binh Thuan province (now Lam Dong), in the first 5 months of 2025, welcomed more than 4.5 million visitors, an increase of nearly 18% over the same period last year. Famous for its year-round warm and sunny climate, Phan Thiet possesses a long coastline and pristine landscape, which is considered an advantage in attracting tourists.
In recent years, the presence of "big guys" such as Best Western, Hilton, InterContinental, Accor, Marriott, Radisson, Centara, and large-scale projects have raised the resort standards here to international standards. Some resort projects include Costamigo (Phan Thiet, Lam Dong) developed by Eras Land, Queen Pear, Tropica Ocean Villa & Resort...
Ms. Pham Thi Mien - Head of Market Research Department of Vietnam Real Estate Brokers Association said that this year, the demand for resort real estate will improve in key markets with good infrastructure and a stable number of international visitors. From an "experiential" destination that tourists visit and then leave, Vietnam has transformed into a "resort destination" that makes tourists return many times. Currently, tourists tend to return thanks to the development of infrastructure systems, utilities, quality resorts and direct flights.
It can be seen that in the picture of Vietnam's tourism market, Phan Thiet is emerging as a destination of choice for domestic and international tourists. The emergence of large-scale, well-invested resort projects has attracted investors back.
International tourists are willing to spend a lot of money on health tourism
In parallel with infrastructure, the “wellness” wave is becoming a trend that is reshaping the entire tourism and resort real estate industry. If in the past, wellness was limited to the luxury spa model and treatment and recovery regimens, now “wellness” is understood more broadly as physical, mental and emotional relaxation.
Global reports show that wellness tourists are a group willing to pay significantly more than regular tourists. Specifically, international wellness tourists spend an average of 1,764 USD per trip – 41% higher than international tourists in general. Notably, domestic wellness tourists spend up to 175% more, equivalent to 668 USD per trip.
This shows that wellness tourism is not just a vacation, but an investment in health and spirit. They seek long-term life experiences where the body is restored, the mind is purified and the quality of life is improved sustainably. Therefore, wellness tourism is growing at an outstanding rate, becoming a new driving force reshaping the global tourism industry. In Vietnam, this trend is spreading strongly, especially among the middle and upper class.
Vietnam's tourism industry is transforming rapidly with the emergence of new business models, brands and resorts. Illustrative photo
Many experts believe that now is the right time to re-evaluate the new development model of resort real estate in the long-term cycle. Vietnam's tourism industry is transforming strongly with the emergence of new business models, brands and new resorts.
Trends such as branded real estate, luxury real estate, sky bars, beach clubs, healing tourism and all-inclusive vacations are increasingly focused on development, helping to meet the diverse needs of many customer groups and contributing to the development of tourist destinations.
In addition, technological factors such as artificial intelligence (AI) are predicted to revolutionize the tourism industry, helping to optimize operational processes and personalize experiences for tourists.
These innovations will promote the next stage of development of the real estate and resort industry in Vietnam, attracting leading brands and shaping the future of the industry. This is the right time to review the models for a new long-term development cycle.
Forecasting the resort real estate segment in 2025, the Vietnam Real Estate Brokers Association said that the supply will increase by about 80% compared to last year (equivalent to nearly 8,000 products), mainly serviced apartments.
According to this unit, resort real estate is still a potential segment in 2025. Because the market is showing signs of recovery with great efforts. In particular, the positive results of the tourism industry are a solid foundation to promote tourism and resort real estate.
Demand in 2025 is expected to continue to improve when the legal corridor is completed in the context of tourism and retail recovering positively. Demand is still directed towards long-term resort villa products or tourist apartments in projects with clear operation plans.
Primary prices are forecast to remain high, but will be adjusted more appropriately. Resort villa prices remain stable in some areas with excess supply of high-end properties. Long-term resort villa prices in key tourist areas continue to grow by about 15% per year thanks to sustainable rental cash flow.
Although considered a potential segment, according to experts, resort real estate still has many problems that need to be solved. Some areas still have excess supply of high-end resorts that have not been put into operation due to incomplete infrastructure and utilities. If we want to wait for this market to be as bustling as in 2018, it will take a few more years.
In addition, the way out for this segment is to expand the target group of foreigners buying houses, have a flexible mechanism for visa exemption for tourism, and for projects that are not suitable for tourism, they should be converted to housing to avoid waste and remove difficulties for both investors and customers.
According to Nguyen Trang
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