In the first quarter of 2026 alone, Vietnam welcomed 6.76 million international visitors, up more than 12% year-on-year and setting a new record. Notably, several markets recorded growth of 40–70%, with some even approaching 200%.
According to data from the General Statistics Office (Ministry of Finance), in March 2026, Vietnam received nearly 2.1 million international visitors, up 1.3% compared to the same period last year.
Overall, in Q1 2026, international arrivals reached 6.76 million, an increase of 12.4% year-on-year and the highest first-quarter figure ever recorded.
Among them, traditional markets continued to lead in both March and Q1 2026. Specifically, with more than 1.4 million visitors, China was Vietnam’s largest source market, followed by South Korea with nearly 1.33 million visitors; Russia with over 367,000; Cambodia with 330,000; Taiwan (China) with more than 316,000; the United States with over 302,000; and India with nearly 243,000 visitors.
In 2025, Vietnam welcomed nearly 21.2 million international visitors.
However, growth slowed in key markets such as China and South Korea, while it surged in several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines (up 69.3%), Cambodia (41%), Singapore (30%), Indonesia (nearly 44%), and Malaysia (21.5%).
The Indian market also maintained strong growth, increasing by more than 69% in Q1 2026 compared to the same period last year.
Arrivals from European and American markets also rose significantly, including Poland (up 52%), Norway (26%), Switzerland (over 27%), Sweden (27.5%), and Denmark and Italy (over 20%).
Notably, the Russian market saw remarkable growth, with more than 120,000 visitors in March alone, up 163% year-on-year. This brought the total number of Russian visitors in Q1 to 367,168, an increase of 194.5% compared to Q1 2025.
In 2025, Russia recorded the highest growth among Vietnam’s international markets, with visitor numbers nearly tripling compared to 2024. This figure also surpassed the 646,524 arrivals recorded in 2019 (pre-COVID) and marked the highest level in the past decade.
According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam’s stable and safe political-social environment, increasingly open visa policies, more professional promotion activities, diversified tourism products aligned with trends, and continuously improving service quality have created a strong foundation for attracting international visitors.
In 2026, Vietnam’s tourism sector aims to make a breakthrough with a target of 25 million international visitors and 150 million domestic travelers, with total tourism revenue projected at VND 1,125 trillion.
Leaders of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism noted that this target is based on the sector’s impressive growth in recent years. Currently, international arrivals to Vietnam are growing at around 22% annually—far exceeding the global average growth rate of 5% and the Asia-Pacific average of 8%.
Notably, compared to the pre-pandemic period, Vietnam’s tourism has recovered to over 110%, while the Asia-Pacific region has only reached about 90%.
