Global billionaires, celebrities raise Vietnam tourism profile in 2024

Bill Gates

In March Da Nang City in central Vietnam found itself in the international spotlight after Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his girlfriend, Paula Hurd, arrived for a four-day private vacation at a luxury resort on Son Tra Peninsula.

They flew to Da Nang in their private Gulfstream G650ER jet.

During their trip they spent time learning about Vietnamese tea and meditation and enjoyed the sunset from the top of Ban Co Mountain, the highest point on the peninsula, together with artisan Hoang Anh Suong.

Bill Gates (R) plays tennis outside a five-star resort on Son Tra peninsula in Da Nang City, March 7, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

City leaders sent a welcome letter thanking Gates for choosing Da Nang to visit.

Following Gates' visit, Ban Co Mountain quickly gained recognition on the global tourism map, and began to attract foreign visitors.

City authorities are now planning to introduce tea meditation tours to the mountain, where visitors can learn the art of making and enjoying tea in the style of the ancient upper class under the guidance of a master.

Tim Cook

In April Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Hanoi for a two-day trip and stayed at the Sofitel Legend Metropole.

He enjoyed a private meal at the French restaurant, Le Beaulieu, where his dinner menu was prepared by chef Charles Degrendele and his team.

Cook walked around Hoan Kiem Lake and drank egg coffee at a café on Hang Be Street along with singer My Linh and her mother and singer My Anh.

Apple CEO Tim Cook seen at Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi on April 15, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

He also visited another coffee shop on Hai Ba Trung Street in the afternoon and met with local content creators.

Roger Federer

Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer visited Da Nang and nearby Hoi An in the central region in late April, and stayed at a five-star resort in Dien Ban Town six kilometers from downtown Hoi An.

On Instagram, he shared photos of the Golden Bridge on Ba Na Hills in Da Nang and the Hoai River filled with boats in Hoi An.

A tourist takes a picture with Roger Federer (R) at a resort in Hoi An, Quang Nam. Photo courtesy of Le Thu Gullion

Born in Switzerland, Federer is arguably the greatest tennis players of all time.

Before retiring in September 2022, he won 20 Grand Slam titles and held the world number one position for a total of 310 weeks. He is admired by fans for his graceful playing style and humble and cheerful personality.

Dilip Shanghvi

In late August and early September Dilip Shanghvi, India's fifth richest person and the owner of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, visited northern Vietnam with 4,500 of his employees.

They toured Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Quang Ninh, home to the UNESCO World Heritage site Ha Long Bay.

In Hanoi, they visited Hoa Lo Prison Museum and the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university dating back to the 10th century. The visitors also took a three-hour boat ride on the Sao Khe River in Ninh Binh Province along the scenic Trang An complex.

They visited Ha Long Bay, famous for its thousands of limestone peaks rising from a calm ocean.

Indian tourists, employees of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, pose for group photos in front of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, August 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Chieu

Their visit highlighted Vietnam's growing appeal to high-spending tourists.

Originally planning to visit Singapore, the group then opted for Vietnam, underscoring the country's increasing attractiveness in a competitive tourism landscape.

India is now one of Vietnam's top 10 sources of foreign visitors.

As of November Vietnam received over 440,000 Indian tourists, marking a 30% year-on-year increase. To put that in perspective, 169,000 Indian visitors came to Vietnam in 2019, the year before Covid broke out and disrupted travel for a few years.

Jensen Huang

Jensen Huang, CEO of chip giant Nvidia, arrived in Hanoi on Dec. 5 on a business trip.

The same day he visited Ngoc Son Temple near Hoan Kiem Lake and Ta Hien Street, Hanoi's iconic backpacker district, to drink fresh beer and eat street food.

Dressed in his signature casual style of a T-shirt and black jeans, Huang strolled along Ta Hien Street, waving in response to the warm greetings from locals.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang drinks beer and enjoy street snacks with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Ta Hien backpacker street in Hanoi, December 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

He also enjoyed some typical tourist experiences, including eating pho and exploring the city.

This was not his first visit to Hanoi’s street food eateries.

During his previous trip to Vietnam in December 2023 too he had gone on a "food tour," sampling pho, snail and beer.