Vietnam welcomes 17.7 million international visitors in first nine months of 2026
WVR - Vietnam welcomed more than 17.7 million international visitors in the first nine months of 2026, up 14.5%, with strong growth recorded in European and Southeast Asian markets.
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| International visitors at the Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy in Hanoi. (Source: VNA) |
In the first nine months of 2026, the number of international visitors to Vietnam reached more than 17.7 million, up 14.5% year-on-year. In September alone, Vietnam welcomed around 1.77 million international visitors, an increase of 16.1%. With this result, the tourism sector has achieved nearly 71% of its target of welcoming 25 million international visitors this year.
China and the Republic of Korea remained the two largest source markets, with 3.9 million and 3 million visitors, respectively, accounting for nearly 40% of the total number of international visitors to Vietnam.
However, growth rates varied considerably across markets. The number of Chinese visitors increased by just 1.5%, while visitors from the Republic of Korea fell by 5.5%. In contrast, many Southeast Asian markets recorded strong growth, with the Philippines up 55.2%, Cambodia 40.5%, Singapore 29.8%, Indonesia 25.5%, Malaysia 18.1% and Thailand 10.1%. India also maintained its growth momentum, with a 33% increase to 505,000 visitors. Australia recorded 485,000 visitors, up 21%.
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| International visitors explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter. (Source: VNA) |
Notably, European markets are showing a strong recovery. In the first nine months, the number of visitors from the region increased by 55% year-on-year. Russia led the growth, with around 1.1 million visitors, an increase of 160.6%, making it the largest European source market for visitors to Vietnam.
Several other markets also recorded significant increases, including France, up 13.6%; Germany, 16.1%; and the UK, 9.7%. Among smaller source markets, Poland increased by 49%, the Czech Republic by 26.6%, Switzerland by 25.7%, Sweden by 23.6% and Belgium by 19.5%.
The rise in European visitors creates greater room for Vietnam’s key tourism products, including beach holidays, longer stays, winter escapes, and journeys exploring the country’s heritage, culture, nature and cuisine.
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| Visitors at Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi. (Source: VNA) |
By region, Asia continued to account for the largest share of international visitors, at 74.5%, although the number increased by only 7.6%. Meanwhile, visitor numbers from Oceania rose by 21%, the Americas by 20% and Africa by 29.4%.
Air travel remained the main means of entry for international visitors to Vietnam, accounting for 83.2% of the total. Visitors entering by land accounted for 15.4%, while those arriving by sea made up 1.4%. Notably, the number of visitors entering by land increased by 29.9%, while sea arrivals rose by 27.7%.
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| Impressive images from the opening night of the recent World Cultural Festival. (Source: VNA) |
Vietnam’s tourism growth comes as global international tourism continues to expand at a slower pace. According to UN Tourism, international tourist arrivals worldwide increased by just 0.4% in the first six months of 2026, while the forecast for full-year growth has been revised down to 1-2%.
As Vietnam’s target of 25 million international visitors draws closer, the challenge for the country’s tourism sector is not simply to continue increasing visitor numbers, but also to extend stays, raise visitor spending and enhance the value generated by each trip.
