The number of international tourist arrivals to Việt Nam climbs nearly 15 per cent in the first half of 2026. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam welcomed nearly 12.3 million international visitors in the first six months of 2026, up 14.9 per cent year-on-year, putting the tourism sector on track to achieve its target of attracting 25 million foreign tourists this year.

According to the Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT)'s Tourism Information Centre, the country received around 1.7 million international visitors in June alone, an increase of 14.7 per cent from the same month last year, despite the month traditionally being part of the low travel season.

The strong performance came amid continued global economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, highlighting Việt Nam's growing appeal as a safe, culturally rich and competitively priced destination with improving service quality. Favourable visa policies, expanded international air connectivity, stronger tourism promotion and international cooperation have also helped sustain inbound tourism growth.

Air travel remained the dominant mode of entry, with 10.12 million arrivals, accounting for 82.6 per cent of the total and rising 11.4 per cent year-on-year. Land arrivals reached 1.92 million, posting the fastest growth among all transport modes at 37.5 per cent, while more than 209,000 visitors arrived by sea, up 15.2 per cent.

China remained Việt Nam's largest source market with 2.7 million visitors, followed by the Republic of Korea with 2.16 million. Together, the two markets accounted for around 40 per cent of total international arrivals.

Russia maintained exceptional momentum, recording 742,700 visitors, up 185.8 per cent from a year earlier, making it Việt Nam's third-largest source market. The surge reflects the restoration and expansion of direct flights, growing demand among Russian travellers for beach holidays, and Việt Nam's competitive tourism products.

Other major markets included Chinese Taiwan with more than 638,000 visitors, the US with nearly 530,000, Cambodia with over 509,000, India with more than 491,000, and Japan with 442,000.

Southeast Asia continued to be a key growth driver. The Philippines recorded the strongest increase at 67.6 per cent, followed by Cambodia (41.2 per cent), Singapore (29.4 per cent), Indonesia (26.5 per cent), Malaysia (23.4 per cent) and Thailand (10 per cent).

Growing intra-ASEAN travel, supported by geographic proximity, dense flight networks and easier travel policies, has strengthened the region's role as a stable source of visitors.

India also remained a standout market, with arrivals rising 45.6 per cent, driven by additional direct flights and stronger promotional efforts.

Europe recorded the highest regional growth rate at 56.1 per cent, led by Russia and supported by continued gains from Western and Northern European markets. Arrivals from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland all increased, benefiting in part from Việt Nam's visa exemption policy for several European countries.

Long-haul markets also expanded steadily, with arrivals from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all posting double-digit growth.

VNAT expected international arrivals to remain strong in the second half of the year as the peak travel season from Northeast Asia, Europe and North America begins in the third and fourth quarters.

Combined with continued visa facilitation, expanded international air links, stronger marketing campaigns and improved tourism products and services, the first-half performance is expected to provide a solid foundation for achieving the country's target of 25 million international visitors in 2026. VNA/VNS