Services & Trade
This category includes the service sector, retail, logistics, finance, e-commerce, and tourism, alongside trade policy and investment trends. It covers import/export dynamics, banking regulations, stock market movements, and infrastructure development. With increasing integration into regional and global trade, this section provides insights into consumer behavior, foreign investment, and evolving service industries.
Tourism: Industry voices call for hands-on reform to fix Vietnam’s workforce gap
Vietnam’s tourism workforce suffers not only from a shortage in numbers but also from weak quality and limited real-world exposure, Professor Dao Manh Hung (VITEA) has warned in an article published by VietnamNet.
Education: Vietnam parents blindsided as HCMC English centre shuts after collecting US$250,000
Over VND 6.58 billion or US$253,840 in tuition was collected before the sudden closure of Australia International English School (AIES), in Ho Chi Minh City, VN Express has reported. More than 200 parents across Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai were affected.
Vietnam Retail Sales Tracker: April Update [data set]
This retail sales in Vietnam tracker from the-shiv collects and organises key retail sales data from Vietnam. It is updated monthly as new information becomes available.
Vietnam Residential Real Estate 2025: Prices, Trends & Key Players
Vietnam’s residential real estate market is shaped by urbanisation, economic growth, and rising demand for diverse housing options. Major cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi dominate the sector, with developments ranging from affordable apartments to luxury villas. That said, there are challenges in the sector such as affordability issues and rising land prices. Regardless, the residential market remains a vital component of Vietnam’s real estate landscape.
Digital assets: Vietnam proposes heavy fines for unlicensed crypto activities
Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has released a draft amendment introducing administrative sanctions for violations in the crypto asset sector, including fines for both investors and service providers, Tuoi Tre has reported.
Gaming: Vietnam gaming market forecast to reach US$2.5 billion by 2033
Vietnam’s gaming market reached US$1.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to US$2.5 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5 percent, according to a report from IMARC Group.
Tourism & hospitality: Hilton to have 14 hotels across Vietnam by end-2025
Hilton will debut its Tru by Hilton brand in Asia Pacific with 14 hotels in Vietnam by late 2025, in partnership with ROX Group (formerly TNG Holdings Vietnam), the company has said in a press release. The first four hotels will open in Hanoi, Ha Long, Lang Son, and Nam Dinh, with future sites planned in Da Nang, Can Tho, Thai Binh, Bac Giang, Hoa Binh, Lao Cai, Dak Lak, Hau Giang, Tam Ky, and Viet Tri.
Healthcare: Japan’s IHW looking to build high-end hospital in Hanoi
Japan’s International Healthcare and Welfare Group (IHW) is looking at 2.5 ha of land in the North Hanoi Smart City for a 200-bed high-end hospital, English language news site, The Investor is reporting. The project is inspired by top-tier Japanese institutions like Sanno Hospital and Mita Hospital, the publication has reported.
Tax: Vietnam government submits proposal to extend VAT cut until end-2026
Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has officially submitted a draft resolution to the National Assembly, seeking to extend the 2 percent Value-added Tax (VAT) reduction until December 31, 2026, Tuoi Tre has reported. The proposed extension applies to goods and services normally taxed at 10 percent, except for sectors such as telecoms, finance, insurance, real estate, mining (except coal), and luxury goods.
Consumer goods: Vietnam retail market projected to double by 2032
Vietnam’s retail sector is forecast to grow from US$180 billion in 2025 to US$350 billion by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate of 8.5 percent, according to a report from HTF Market Intelligence.
Trade: Dry cargo shortage insurance claims surge in Vietnam ports
Dry cargo shortage insurance claims in Cai Mep and Phu My ports have nearly tripled between 2020 and 2024, according to Gard P&I Club and reported by Safety4Sea. Affected cargoes include soybean meal, corn, and fertilisers, with claims are generally low value but high frequency, raising cumulative risk
Gaming: Hoiana counsel critiques Vietnam’s gaming laws as incomplete and unclear
Vietnam’s gaming regulatory system is underdeveloped and struggling to balance commercial needs with state control, Luís Mesquita de Melo, General Counsel at Hoiana Integrated Resort, has told a panel discussion, as reported by Asia Gaming Brief.
Stock market: Vietnam’s VN-Index climbs 1.55 percent on May 8
The VNIndex closed at 1,269.80 today, gaining 19.43 points or 1.55 percent, with a total trading value of VND 19.22 trillion, or US$739.2 million. The VN30 index also rose, climbing 1.99 percent to close at 1,351.10.
Retail: Japan’s Aeon plans eightfold store expansion in Vietnam by 2030
Japan’s Aeon aims to expand from 12 to 100 general merchandise stores and super-supermarkets in Vietnam by 2030, Nikkei Asia has reported. It also plans to grow its network of smaller grocery stores to around 200 locations.
Economy: Vietnam announces US$20 billion credit package to drive growth
A total of 21 commercial banks have registered to participate in a VND 500 trillion (US$20 billion) credit package to support businesses in infrastructure and digital technology, Deputy Governor Dao Minh Tu has told a press conference. The package will offer interest rates at least 1 percent lower than current commercial lending rates for a minimum of two years.
Stock market: VNIndex edges up 0.15 percent amid mixed sector performance
The VNIndex closed at 1,241.95 today, gaining 1.90 points or 0.15 percent with a total trading value of VND 17.85 trillion, or US$686.54 million, according to a release from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange. The VN30 index conversely dipped slightly by 0.06 percent, while VNSmallCap gained 0.07 percent and VNMidCap fell 0.19 percent.
Sanctions: EU to target Vietnamese companies aiding Russian sanctions evasion
For the first time, the European Union plans to sanction a Vietnamese company for allegedly assisting Russia in bypassing trade restrictions, as part of its 17th sanctions package since the Ukraine invasion, the Financial Times is reporting.
Trade: US-Vietnam trade grows in April post-US tariff announcement
Vietnam’s exports to the United States in April reached US$12.02 billion, up 1.5 percent from US$11.85 billion in March, according to the latest data from Vietnam Customs. Imports from the US were also up, reaching US$1.57 billion, an increase 4.3 percent from US$1.50 billion in March.
Tourism and hospitality: Vietnam receives 7.67 million international visitors in first four months of 2025
Vietnam’s April 2025 tourist arrivals hit 1.65 million, down 19.5 percent from March, but up 6.3 percent year-on-year, according to the latest data from the National Statistics Office (NSO). Year-to-date (Jan–Apr 2025) total arrivals reached 7.67 million, up 23.8 percent compared to the same period in 2024.
Securities: Vietnam’s long delayed KRX trading system finally goes live
Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE) has officially launched its new KRX trading system, ten years after it was first conceived, VietnamNet has reported. It’s hoped the new system will improve liquidity, trading efficiency, and pave the way for a market status upgrade.
In today’s Vietnam news: Fuel prices cut, Double-digit growth target reinforced, New airport services delay approval requested, TikTok VN investment, Bybit in Vietnam, LG
In today’s Vietnam news: VN renews antidumping tariffs on Thai sugar, Power supply challenges continue, USTR tariffs forced labour, AMRO growth forecast downgrade, Foreign
In today’s Vietnam news: Fund outflows May, New HCMC airport trial operations to begin September, M&A HCMC 2026, Compensation for gas-to-electric bike switch Hanoi,
This is an interview with Chris Walker, a Vietnam Sourcing Expert with Vietnam Factory Tours how rising oil prices and the Middle East crisis are
This is an interview with John Gardner, CEO and Founding Partner, at Optimum Hospitality in Ho Chi Minh City. It covers fuel price impacts on:
This is an interview with Dr Nuno F. Ribeiro, Associate Professor, International Tourism & Hospitality Management at Copenhagen Business College, formerly of RMIT Vietnam. It