Storms, floods disrupt tourism in central Vietnam

German Sae cut her trip short, leaving Hoi An two days early.

"Although I sympathize with local residents, I did not want my trip disrupted," she said after traveling on to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In recent weeks tourism, especially in Hue and Hoi An have been severely disrupted by heavy rains and relentless flooding.

The Hue Imperial Citadel on the northern bank of the Huong River was surrounded by water.

Foreign tourists are evacuated by boat amid rising floodwaters in Hue on Oct. 28, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Thanh

In Hoi An, many shops were under two to three meters of water.

Tourism activities in the old town came to a virtual halt for four to five days from Oct. 27.

According to the Hue Department of Tourism, tourism services establishments suffered heavy damage from flooding between Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.

High-end hotels like Vinpearl Hue, Silk Path and La Vela Hue were also inundated, resulting in an estimated 5,000 canceled room bookings by around 10,000 guests and losses of VND20 billion (US$760,000).

"The preliminary estimate of the losses is more than one billion dong," said Hoang An, a representative of a hotel near Truong Tien Bridge in Hue.

Authorities have warned there could be more storms and flooding.

Typhoon Kalmaegi, which strengthened to 183 kph after entering the East Sea early Wednesday, is forecast to make landfall between Quang Ngai and Dak Lak provinces Thursday evening with winds of 118–133 kph.

An said with floodwaters yet to fully recede, the new storm could worsen the situation.

Over the past two weeks more than 50% of her hotel's guests have canceled their rooms.

In November two MICE groups also canceled their year-end conference bookings.

Pham Anh Vu of Du Lich Viet Company said 30–40% of customers canceled or postponed tours due to the non-stop rains.

The most affected areas include Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam—particularly Hoi An—and Quang Binh, where Phong Nha–Ke Bang cave tours were disrupted by floods.

Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh of Vietravel said 15–20% of customers have postponed or canceled their trips.

Groups already en route have changed their schedules and sightseeing spots or shortened itineraries.

Travel operators are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating response plans.

"Years with strong or overlapping storms are the most difficult periods," Vu said.