Vietnam Culinary Tourism Market Size, Share, Trends and Forecast by Activity Type, Tour Type, Age Group, Mode of Booking, and Region, 2026-2034

Vietnam Culinary Tourism Market Summary:

The Vietnam culinary tourism market size reached USD 6.24 Billion in 2025. The market is projected to reach USD 20.17 Billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 13.92% during 2026-2034. The market is driven by the international recognition of Vietnamese cuisine through Michelin Guide expansion, explosive growth in hands-on culinary experiences including food tours and cooking classes, and digital platform transformation expanding market reach through online booking conveniences. Integration of artificial intelligence in tourism services and government initiatives promoting culinary heritage are expanding the Vietnam culinary tourism market share.

Vietnam Culinary Tourism Market Outlook (2026-2034):

The Vietnam culinary tourism market is poised for robust growth, fueled by increasing international recognition of Vietnamese cuisine as a world-class destination following Michelin Guide expansion and strategic government investments in digital tourism infrastructure. The surge in experiential travel preferences among millennials and Generation Z travelers seeking authentic cultural connections through food experiences will drive sustained demand for cooking classes, street food tours, and farm-to-table culinary trails. Furthermore, enhanced air connectivity to major Vietnamese cities, visa liberalization policies for key source markets, and partnerships with luxury travel operators are expected to attract high-spending culinary tourists throughout the forecast period.

Impact of AI:

Artificial intelligence is transforming the Vietnam culinary tourism sector by enabling personalized experience recommendations, streamlined booking processes, and operational efficiency improvements. The government-launched Visit Vietnam platform integrates AI-powered itinerary planning that suggests customized culinary experiences based on traveler preferences and historical behavior patterns. Online travel agencies leverage machine learning algorithms to optimize pricing, forecast demand fluctuations, and match tourists with suitable cooking classes and food tours. Additionally, restaurants and hospitality operators utilize AI for reservation management, real-time menu adjustments, automated customer service through chatbots, and predictive analytics to anticipate guest arrivals. As AI technology matures, its deeper integration across the culinary tourism value chain will enhance visitor satisfaction while improving resource allocation and business sustainability.

Market Dynamics:

Key Market Trends & Growth Drivers:

Michelin Guide Recognition Elevating Vietnam's Global Culinary Standing

The expansion of the Michelin Guide to Vietnam has fundamentally transformed the country's culinary tourism landscape by providing international validation of Vietnamese cuisine's quality and sophistication. In 2024, the Michelin ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City recognized seven restaurants with one-star ratings across Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, significantly expanding the geographical footprint of recognized culinary excellence. The prestigious accolade has created a ripple effect throughout the industry, establishing new benchmarks for food quality, service standards, and customer experience that encourage both starred and non-starred establishments to elevate their offerings. Particularly notable was Nén Danang's achievement as Vietnam's first recipient of the Michelin Green Star, highlighting the growing importance of sustainable gastronomy practices that appeal to environmentally conscious travelers. The "Michelin effect" extends beyond restaurant operations, attracting international media attention, inspiring culinary tourism product development, and positioning Vietnam competitively against established Asian food destinations like Thailand and Singapore. High-profile recognition has emboldened international luxury travel operators to invest in Vietnam-focused culinary tourism products, exemplified by Abercrombie & Kent's decision to launch its inaugural culinary tour series in Vietnam before expanding to traditional food capitals such as Italy, France, and Japan. In June 2024, the Michelin Guide Vietnam ceremony announced seven one-star restaurants and Vietnam's first-ever Green Star recipient, Nén Danang, for sustainable gastronomy practices, with Da Nang making its debut with 16 new Bib Gourmand entries.

Explosive Growth in Hands-On Culinary Experiences Driving Market Engagement

The Vietnam culinary tourism market growth is propelled by unprecedented demand for participatory experiences that allow travelers to actively engage with Vietnamese culinary traditions rather than passively observing them. Food tours have evolved from simple restaurant visits to immersive journeys incorporating market visits, street food sampling, and interactions with local vendors who share cultural insights and cooking techniques. Vespa scooter food tours in Ho Chi Minh City exemplify this trend, offering adventurous culinary exploration that combines transportation novelty with authentic local dining experiences, commanding premium pricing and achieving full bookings months in advance with customers predominantly from Europe, the United States, and Australia. Cooking classes represent another high-growth segment, with operators reporting sharp demand increases following the pandemic as travelers seek skills-based experiences they can replicate at home. These classes typically range from $30 to $45 depending on seasonality, feature market tours where participants select fresh ingredients, and culminate in multi-course meals that participants prepare under chef guidance. The educational component addresses travelers' desires for cultural understanding, as instructors explain ingredient selection, regional cooking variations, and the historical contexts shaping Vietnamese culinary traditions. Platform operators like Klook have capitalized on this trend, with culinary-focused services becoming core growth drivers and experiencing 70% year-over-year revenue increases in 2024. In 2024, Klook reported that culinary-focused services including food tours, cooking experiences, and fine dining experienced a 70% year-over-year revenue increase, while cooking class providers like M.O.M Cooking Class in Ho Chi Minh City accommodated up to 30 guests daily during peak season with prices ranging from USD 30-USD 45.

Digital Platform Transformation Expanding Market Accessibility and Operational Efficiency

The widespread adoption of digital platforms has revolutionized how international travelers discover, research, and book culinary tourism experiences in Vietnam, fundamentally altering distribution channels and market dynamics. Over 70% of international tourists to Da Nang now utilize online travel agencies such as Traveloka, Booking.com, and Klook for service bookings, demonstrating the decisive shift from traditional booking methods to digital channels. These platforms provide comprehensive information including user reviews, pricing transparency, visual content showcasing experiences, and instant confirmation capabilities that reduce booking friction and build consumer confidence. The 30-35% increase in OTA searches and bookings recorded in 2024 reflects both growing market awareness and platform effectiveness in reaching international audiences across diverse source markets. Digital transformation extends beyond consumer-facing applications to encompass operational improvements, including real-time pricing optimization, inventory management, customer relationship management systems, and data analytics enabling operators to understand booking patterns and adjust offerings accordingly. The Vietnamese government recognizes digital infrastructure as essential for achieving ambitious tourism targets of 25 million international visitors and 150 million domestic tourists by 2025, leading to the development of the Visit Vietnam platform, which is an AI-powered super app integrating trip planning, booking services, real-time tourism dashboards, and eventually blockchain technology for secure transactions. This comprehensive digital ecosystem aims to unify fragmented tourism services, enhance visitor experiences through personalization, and provide businesses with valuable market intelligence through Data-as-a-Service models. In 2024, Da Nang reported that over 70% of international tourists booked services through online platforms such as Traveloka, Booking.com, and Klook, with a collaborative campaign distributing 6,000 vouchers increasing online traffic by 861%.

Key Market Challenges:

Inconsistent Quality Standards Undermining Market Credibility and Consumer Confidence

Despite Vietnam's growing international reputation as a premier culinary destination, the industry faces persistent challenges maintaining consistent quality across the diverse spectrum of dining establishments that constitute the culinary tourism experience. The fragmentation of Vietnam's food service sector, ranging from Michelin-starred restaurants to family-operated street food stalls, creates significant variability in food safety practices, hygiene standards, ingredient quality, and service levels. Dr. Jackie Ong from RMIT University emphasizes that ensuring food safety and hygiene is especially critical in casual dining spots and street food venues, which represent authentic Vietnamese culinary culture but may lack standardized food handling procedures, temperature controls, or sanitation infrastructure meeting international expectations. This inconsistency poses risks for food-borne illnesses that can damage individual business reputations and broader destination perceptions, particularly among health-conscious travelers or visitors from countries with stringent food safety regulations. The challenge extends beyond technical food safety to encompass service quality variability, with some operators lacking training in customer service, cultural sensitivity, or foreign language communication necessary for delivering positive experiences to international tourists. Street food vendors, while offering authentic culinary experiences, may struggle to accommodate dietary restrictions, explain ingredients or preparation methods, or provide payment options convenient for foreign visitors. The rapid expansion of culinary tourism has outpaced the development of industry-wide quality standards, certification programs, and enforcement mechanisms that could establish baseline expectations across all service levels. Addressing this challenge requires coordinated efforts among government agencies, industry associations, educational institutions, and operators to develop practical training programs, implement accessible certification systems, and create quality assurance mechanisms that preserve authenticity while meeting international standards.

Critical Shortage of Skilled Human Resources with Integrated Culinary and Cultural Expertise

The culinary tourism sector confronts a fundamental human capital constraint as demand for high-quality experiences grows faster than the supply of qualified professionals possessing the multifaceted skill sets required for effective delivery. Successful culinary tourism depends not merely on cooking ability but requires guides and instructors who combine culinary expertise with deep cultural knowledge, historical context, storytelling capabilities, foreign language proficiency, and interpersonal skills enabling meaningful cross-cultural exchanges. Tour guides must navigate complex narratives explaining how Vietnamese cuisine reflects historical influences from Chinese occupation, French colonialism, indigenous traditions, and regional variations while demonstrating food preparation techniques and facilitating authentic interactions with local producers and chefs. Chefs operating cooking classes need pedagogical skills translating professional techniques into accessible instructions for amateur cooks with diverse skill levels, along with cultural sensitivity understanding different dietary preferences, restrictions, and comfort levels with unfamiliar ingredients or preparation methods. Restaurant staff serving international culinary tourists require training beyond traditional hospitality to explain menu items' cultural significance, recommend pairings reflecting Vietnamese traditions, and accommodate special requests while maintaining authentic experiences. The shortage becomes particularly acute in rural areas and secondary cities where culinary tourism development lags behind major urban centers, limiting opportunities for destination diversification despite rich regional culinary traditions. Educational institutions have been slow to develop specialized curricula addressing culinary tourism's unique requirements, leaving many operators to provide ad hoc training insufficient for professionalizing the workforce. Without systematic solutions including specialized degree programs, industry certifications, train-the-trainer initiatives, and partnerships between educational institutions and tourism operators, human resource constraints will continue limiting market growth and quality improvement regardless of infrastructure investments or marketing efforts.

Infrastructure Deficiencies Constraining Geographic Diversification and Sustainable Growth

Vietnam's culinary tourism development faces significant infrastructure limitations that concentrate activity in established urban centers while preventing geographic diversification that could reduce overcrowding and distribute economic benefits more equitably across regions. Major cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang possess the transportation connectivity, accommodation capacity, restaurant density, and tourism services infrastructure necessary to support large-scale culinary tourism, but many secondary destinations with distinctive regional cuisines lack these fundamental prerequisites. Limited air connectivity to regional airports, inadequate road networks connecting rural areas with unique culinary traditions, insufficient accommodation meeting international tourist expectations, and sparse tourism support services restrict operators' ability to develop compelling itineraries beyond well-established routes. This geographic concentration exacerbates overcrowding at popular destinations, accelerates environmental degradation in heavily visited areas, strains municipal services including waste management and water supply, and creates negative externalities diminishing both resident quality of life and visitor experiences. Infrastructure deficiencies extend beyond physical assets to encompass regulatory frameworks, with inconsistent standards for food establishment licensing, environmental compliance, and tourism operator certification creating operational uncertainties. Rural destinations often lack the institutional capacity for tourism planning, infrastructure development, and service coordination necessary for sustainable culinary tourism growth. Climate vulnerabilities including typhoons, flooding, and coastal erosion pose additional infrastructure risks, particularly for central coastal regions, threatening established tourism assets while deterring investment in new developments. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated public and private investment in transportation networks, accommodation development, utility infrastructure, waste management systems, and environmental protection measures, alongside institutional strengthening for tourism planning and management capabilities at provincial and municipal levels throughout Vietnam.

Vietnam Culinary Tourism Market Report Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the Vietnam culinary tourism market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels for 2026-2034. The market has been categorized based on activity type, tour type, age group, and mode of booking.

Analysis by Activity Type:

• Culinary Trails
• Cooking Classes
• Restaurants
• Food Festival and Events
• Others

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the activity type. This includes culinary trails, cooking classes, restaurants, food festival and events, and others.

Analysis by Tour Type:

• Domestic
• International

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the tour type have also been provided in the report. This includes domestic and international.

Analysis by Age Group:

• Baby Boomers
• Generation X
• Generation Y
• Generation Z

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the age group. This includes baby boomers, generation X, generation Y, and generation Z.

Analysis by Mode of Booking:

• Online Travel Agents
• Traditional Agents
• Direct Bookings

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the mode of booking have also been provided in the report. This includes online travel agents, traditional agents, and direct bookings.

Analysis by Region:

• Northern Vietnam
• Central Vietnam
• Southern Vietnam

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include Northern Vietnam, Central Vietnam, and Southern Vietnam.

Competitive Landscape:

The Vietnam culinary tourism market exhibits a fragmented competitive structure characterized by diverse operators ranging from international luxury travel companies establishing premium culinary tour products to local specialized providers offering authentic street food experiences and cooking classes. Competition revolves around experience authenticity, service quality, destination access, expert guide credentials, and unique value propositions differentiating offerings in an increasingly crowded marketplace. International online travel agencies like Klook, Traveloka, Booking.com, and Agoda dominate distribution channels, leveraging technological platforms, brand recognition, and user review ecosystems to attract bookings while collecting commissions from service providers. Local operators differentiate through specialized expertise in regional cuisines, established relationships with chefs and producers, intimate group sizes enabling personalized interactions, and competitive pricing compared to international tour operators. The market has attracted investments from luxury travel companies recognizing Vietnam's emergence as a premier culinary destination, evidenced by Abercrombie & Kent's strategic decision to launch its inaugural culinary tour series in Vietnam. Cooking class operators compete on location authenticity, instructor expertise, menu variety, market tour inclusions, and facility quality, with successful establishments maintaining high occupancy through online reputation management and partnership arrangements with hotels and tour operators.

Vietnam Culinary Tourism Industry Latest Developments:

• April 2025: U.S.-based luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent launched "Flavors of Vietnam," an eight-day culinary journey priced from USD 6,995 per person and limited to 18 guests per trip. The tour features Vespa rides through Ho Chi Minh City to discover hidden eateries, Mekong Delta cruises to meet local farmers, meals at Michelin-starred Anan restaurant, and classic Hanoi street food experiences including pho and bun cha paired with local beverages. Vietnam was chosen as the inaugural destination for A&K's new culinary tour series before expansion to Italy, France, Japan, and China.
• August 2025: The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism officially launched the Visit Vietnam platform, a national digital ecosystem integrating AI-powered trip planning, blockchain technology, and seamless booking services. The platform's phased rollout includes the National Tourism Dashboard 1.0 for government use (October 2025), public access with trip planning tools (Q2 2026), and international debut at the 2027 APEC Summit featuring AI-powered itineraries, direct booking capabilities, and Data-as-a-Service for tourism enterprises.
• June 2024: Seven restaurants in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang were given one Michelin star during the Michelin Guide Vietnam ceremony, which also revealed the 2024 selection.  Four institutions kept their 2023 stars, while Akuna and Le Pavillon Royal (Ho Chi Minh City) and La Maison 1888 (Da Nang) were the new honorees.  Notably, Nén Danang's dedication to supporting regional ingredients and eco-friendly methods earned it the Michelin Green Star for sustainable gastronomy, making it Vietnam's first restaurant to do so.

Vietnam Culinary Tourism Market Report Coverage:

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the Vietnam culinary tourism market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What is the breakup of the Vietnam culinary tourism market on the basis of activity type?
• What is the breakup of the Vietnam culinary tourism market on the basis of tour type?
• What is the breakup of the Vietnam culinary tourism market on the basis of age group?
• What is the breakup of the Vietnam culinary tourism market on the basis of mode of booking?
• What is the breakup of the Vietnam culinary tourism market on the basis of region?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the Vietnam culinary tourism market?
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the Vietnam culinary tourism market?
• What is the structure of the Vietnam culinary tourism market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the Vietnam culinary tourism market?

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC's industry report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the Vietnam culinary tourism market from 2020-2034.
• The research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the Vietnam culinary tourism market.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the Vietnam culinary tourism industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.