Sapa tourism triumph from misty valleys to global rankings
According to data recently released by the online
travel platform Agoda, Sapa (Lao Cai) has become the
fastest-growing destination in Asia in 2025, based on
international tourist bookings in the first 11 months of
the year compared to the same period in 2024.
Thanks to its outstanding growth, Sapa has climbed 15 places in Agoda's ranking of the top 100 destinations in Asia, from position 66 to 51. This achievement helps the highland town in Northwest Vietnam surpass a number of famous destinations in the region such as Okayama, Matsuyama, Takamatsu (Japan) or Bandung (Indonesia), confirming its growing appeal to international tourists.
Notably, Sapa's ranking increase was significantly higher than that of the other destinations in Asia's fast-growing group, which only fluctuated between 6 and 13 places. It also had the strongest increase in Vietnam's ranking this year.
Besides Sapa, Vietnam has seven other representatives in the top 100 leading destinations in Asia. Among them, Phu Quoc rose 6 places, Hanoi rose 3 places, Ho Chi Minh City rose 2 places, Da Nang rose 1 place, Hoi An maintained its ranking, while Nha Trang dropped 2 places and Da Lat dropped 5 places. This data shows a positive outlook for Vietnamese tourism in 2025, but Sapa remains the most prominent name in terms of growth.
According to Agoda's assessment, Sapa scored highly at the beginning of the year thanks to its pleasant, cool highland climate, majestic natural landscapes, and diverse flowering seasons. Experiences steeped in local character, such as the peaceful Ta Van valley shrouded in early morning mist, the vibrant Bac Ha market showcasing the cultural colors of ethnic minorities, or the terraced rice fields during the rainy and harvest seasons, have created a special appeal for international tourists.
Not only is Sapa leading in growth rate, but in 2025, Agoda also ranked it among the top 8 most attractive mountain and small town destinations in Asia, making it the only Vietnamese representative on this list. This shows that Sapa attracts not only tourists due to its rapidly increasing number, but also due to the quality of the experience and the increasingly well-established image of the destination in the international market.
In terms of actual results, in 2025, Sapa welcomed over 4.3 million visitors, achieving total revenue of approximately 19,000 billion VND, exceeding the set plan. Looking ahead to 2026, the locality aims to welcome 5 million visitors, achieving revenue of 31,000 billion VND, with the goal of building Sapa into a green, culturally rich, sustainably developed, smart, and internationally-recognized tourist city.
Experts believe that Sapa's success in Agoda's rankings reflects the growing trend among international tourists favoring destinations with natural beauty, local culture, and sustainable experiences. With continued investment in infrastructure, preservation of cultural identity, and improvement of service quality, Sapa has the potential to become one of Asia's leading mountain tourism icons in the coming years.
Sapa Tours - Travel activities in Sapa are generally excellent and highly professional, especially if you focus on sustainable community-based tourism. Since Sapa is a major hub, the quality ranges from budget "tourist traps" to high-end, culturally immersive experiences.
Thanks to its outstanding growth, Sapa has climbed 15 places in Agoda's ranking of the top 100 destinations in Asia, from position 66 to 51. This achievement helps the highland town in Northwest Vietnam surpass a number of famous destinations in the region such as Okayama, Matsuyama, Takamatsu (Japan) or Bandung (Indonesia), confirming its growing appeal to international tourists.
Notably, Sapa's ranking increase was significantly higher than that of the other destinations in Asia's fast-growing group, which only fluctuated between 6 and 13 places. It also had the strongest increase in Vietnam's ranking this year.
Besides Sapa, Vietnam has seven other representatives in the top 100 leading destinations in Asia. Among them, Phu Quoc rose 6 places, Hanoi rose 3 places, Ho Chi Minh City rose 2 places, Da Nang rose 1 place, Hoi An maintained its ranking, while Nha Trang dropped 2 places and Da Lat dropped 5 places. This data shows a positive outlook for Vietnamese tourism in 2025, but Sapa remains the most prominent name in terms of growth.
According to Agoda's assessment, Sapa scored highly at the beginning of the year thanks to its pleasant, cool highland climate, majestic natural landscapes, and diverse flowering seasons. Experiences steeped in local character, such as the peaceful Ta Van valley shrouded in early morning mist, the vibrant Bac Ha market showcasing the cultural colors of ethnic minorities, or the terraced rice fields during the rainy and harvest seasons, have created a special appeal for international tourists.
Not only is Sapa leading in growth rate, but in 2025, Agoda also ranked it among the top 8 most attractive mountain and small town destinations in Asia, making it the only Vietnamese representative on this list. This shows that Sapa attracts not only tourists due to its rapidly increasing number, but also due to the quality of the experience and the increasingly well-established image of the destination in the international market.
In terms of actual results, in 2025, Sapa welcomed over 4.3 million visitors, achieving total revenue of approximately 19,000 billion VND, exceeding the set plan. Looking ahead to 2026, the locality aims to welcome 5 million visitors, achieving revenue of 31,000 billion VND, with the goal of building Sapa into a green, culturally rich, sustainably developed, smart, and internationally-recognized tourist city.
Experts believe that Sapa's success in Agoda's rankings reflects the growing trend among international tourists favoring destinations with natural beauty, local culture, and sustainable experiences. With continued investment in infrastructure, preservation of cultural identity, and improvement of service quality, Sapa has the potential to become one of Asia's leading mountain tourism icons in the coming years.
Sapa Tours - Travel activities in Sapa are generally excellent and highly professional, especially if you focus on sustainable community-based tourism. Since Sapa is a major hub, the quality ranges from budget "tourist traps" to high-end, culturally immersive experiences.
