VIETNAM, HO CHI MINH CITY –  In recent years, travel has evolved beyond traditional sightseeing and leisure vacations. Increasingly, travelers are planning trips around sports, wellness, and immersive experiences. From marathons, triathlons, and cycling races to golf tournaments and outdoor sporting events, sports are becoming a key driver of travel demand and trip planning.

Vietnam Emerges as Southeast Asia’s New Marathon Destination

Vietnam is steadily building a reputation as one of Southeast Asia’s most attractive sports tourism destinations, and Traveloka data shows the effect reaching well beyond the sporting community. Around the Ho Chi Minh City Marathon, held in January 2026, travel searches into Vietnam rose sharply across every source market the platform tracks — led by South Korea, Japan and Singapore.

Amid this trend, Vietnam is steadily establishing itself as one of the region’s most attractive sports tourism destinations. While road races once primarily attracted domestic participants, the country now hosts a year-round calendar of events across Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hue, Sa Pa, Da Lat, Phu Quoc, and Con Dao.

Every year, Vietnam stages dozens of running events of varying scales, spanning mountains, highlands, coastlines, modern cities, and heritage destinations. Its diverse landscapes, climate, and natural scenery give each race a distinctive character while allowing participants to experience the unique culture and attractions of each locality.

Traveloka data shows travel searches into Ho Chi Minh City climbing across every tracked source market around the marathon, led by South Korea, where searches rose to about three times (+206%) their usual level. Japan (+109%) and Singapore (+107%) followed closely, both more than doubling their usual search volume. The pattern points to Ho Chi Minh City — and Vietnam more broadly — emerging as a “run-cation” destination, where travelers pair race participation with a leisure holiday.

Beyond marathons, Vietnam also offers strong potential to develop internationally recognized triathlons, ultramarathons, and outdoor sporting events. Its varied terrain, short travel distances, expanding air connectivity, and abundance of beaches, mountains, forests, and culturally rich cities provide competitive advantages that few countries in the region can match.

A Sporting Event Becomes a Complete Travel Experience

One of the defining characteristics of sports tourism is that the event itself is only the beginning of the journey. Many athletes and spectators now plan their trips months in advance, booking flights and accommodations while extending their stay to explore the destination before or after the competition. A marathon that lasts only a few hours can inspire a three- to five-day holiday, during which visitors enjoy local cuisine, visit attractions, shop, and immerse themselves in local culture.

This trend not only lengthens visitors’ average stay but also increases tourism spending, generating economic benefits across the destination’s entire travel ecosystem.

As Southeast Asia’s leading all-in-one travel tech platform, Traveloka supports travelers throughout their journey—from booking flights and accommodations to discovering destinations and sporting events. By bringing these services together on a single platform, Traveloka enables users to plan seamless trips and maximize their experiences beyond the event itself.

Sports Could Become Vietnam’s Next Signature Tourism Product

Alongside traditional running events, Vietnam is gradually positioning sports as a distinctive tourism offering across multiple destinations.

One example is Sports Festival 2026 in Lam Dong Province, taking place from August 1 to September 22, which is expected to attract around 17,000 athletes and visitors and provide a significant boost to local tourism. The festival combines sporting competitions with leisure, cultural, and nature-based experiences to encourage longer stays and higher visitor spending.

At the regional level, the ASEAN Cup 2026 (July 24–August 26) is also expected to stimulate sports tourism. With its home-and-away competition format, a deep run by Vietnam’s national football team could significantly increase both inbound and outbound fan travel, creating opportunities for supporters to combine match attendance with leisure travel and destination exploration.

As travelers increasingly seek personalized, experience-driven journeys, the global sports tourism market continues to expand rapidly. According to Grand View Research, the sector is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.8% between 2026 and 2033, reaching a market value of US$2.776 trillion by 2033.

With its diverse landscapes, expanding calendar of sporting events, and ability to combine athletics with culture and leisure, Vietnam is well positioned to become one of the region’s—and eventually the world’s—leading sports tourism destinations. By transforming every sporting event into a complete travel experience, the country has an opportunity to strengthen its competitiveness on the regional and global tourism map.