Viet Nam’s tourism sector began 2026 with a record-breaking milestone. The country achieved its strongest first-quarter performance on record. It welcomed 6.76 million international visitors in the first three months of 2026. This figure represents a 12.4% year-on-year increase, according to the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism.
In March 2026 alone, Viet Nam received nearly 2.1 million international arrivals. This marked a 1.3% increase compared to the same month last year.
Air travel remained the main mode of entry. It accounted for 82.3% of total arrivals. Land routes followed with 15.5%, while sea routes made up 2.2%.
China and South Korea continued to be Viet Nam’s two largest source markets. They contributed 1.4 million and 1.3 million visitors respectively. Together, they accounted for around 40% of total arrivals.
Several Southeast Asian markets recorded strong growth. The Philippines rose by 69.3%. Indonesia increased by nearly 44%. Cambodia grew by 41%. Singapore saw a 30.2% rise, while Malaysia recorded a 21.5% increase.
India also posted an impressive 69.3% growth. This highlights the strong potential of the South Asian market. Meanwhile, Europe overall surged by 55.6%.
Russia stood out as a key performer. It recorded more than 120,000 visitors in March alone. This represented a 163% year-on-year increase. Total Russian arrivals in the first quarter reached 367,168. This marked a sharp rise of 194.5% compared to the same period in 2025.
The General Statistics Office of Vietnam cited several factors behind this growth. These include a stable political environment, open visa policies, and improved service quality.
Viet Nam’s tourism sector is targeting 25 million international arrivals in 2026. It also aims to reach 150 million domestic tourists. Total revenue is projected to hit around US$46 billion.
Leaders of the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism noted that international arrivals are growing at an average rate of about 22% per year. This is far above the global tourism growth rate of 5% and the Asia–Pacific average of 8%.
They also highlighted that Viet Nam’s tourism recovery has surpassed pre-pandemic levels by more than 110%.
