Foreign arrivals to Vietnam increase 14.9% in first half of 2026
International arrivals reached 12.3 million for the January to June period.
Vietnam.- Some 12.3 million international visitors entered Vietnam during the first six months of 2026. The figure represents a 14.9 per cent increase year-on-year and keeps the country on track to meet its target for the year. The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) said there were 1.68 million arrivals in June, up 14.7 per cent year-on-year in what is traditionally the low season.
Air travel accounted for 10.12 million arrivals, or 82.6 per cent of the total. Arrivals were up 11.4 per cent year-on-year. Land arrivals reached nearly 1.9 million, up 37.5 per cent, while the remainder entered by sea.
China continued to be Vietnam’s largest inbound tourism market with 2.7 million visitors, followed by South Korea with 2.16 million. Together, the two markets represented around 40 per cent of all international arrivals during the first half of the year.
Visitor arrivals from the United States increased 18 per cent, and those from Canada 27.6 per cent. Among Oceania markets, arrivals from Australia and New Zealand grew by 22 per cent and 22.6 per cent, respectively. There was double-digit growth across several Western and Northern European markets.
Vietnamese tourism authorities attributed the momentum to a combination of more favourable visa policies, expanded international flight connectivity, intensified destination marketing, broader tourism product offerings and efforts to diversify source markets.
