International tourists take photos in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam welcomed 13.9 million international visitors in the first seven months of 2026, up 13.8 per cent year-on-year, achieving about 56 per cent of this year's target of 25 million foreign arrivals, reported the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.

Data released on August 3 showed that the country received 1.67 million international visitors in July alone, an increase of 6.6 per cent compared with the same month last year.

The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) attributed the sustained double-digit growth during the seven months to the country's growing appeal as a travel destination, supported by more favourable visa policies, expanded international air connectivity, stronger tourism promotion campaigns, and improved tourism products and services.

The performance is considered particularly encouraging as the global tourism industry continues to face uncertainties and Việt Nam is entering its traditional low season for international arrivals.

China remained Việt Nam's largest source market during the January–July period, with about 3.1 million arrivals, accounting for 22.2 per cent of the total. The Republic of Korea ranked second with 2.4 million visitors.

Russia retained the third place with 864,000 arrivals, soaring 174 per cent from a year earlier to become Việt Nam's largest European source market. The VNAT said the remarkable recovery came as a result of the restoration of direct flights, increased flight frequencies and growing demand among Russian holidaymakers for beach destinations in Vietnam.

Europe continued to stand out as the fastest-growing region, recording average year-on-year growth of 53.4 per cent. Besides Russia, visitor arrivals from Poland rose 51.3 per cent, the Czech Republic 28.6 per cent, Sweden 24.7 per cent and Switzerland 21.7 per cent. All the four markets benefit from Việt Nam's visa exemption policy, highlighting the effectiveness of measures to facilitate international travel and attract visitors with high spending levels.

In Asia, the Philippines posted the strongest growth, with arrivals surging 63.6 per cent, followed by India (42.9 per cent), Cambodia (40.8 per cent), Singapore (31 per cent), Indonesia (27.3 per cent) and Malaysia (21.6 per cent). The region continued to serve as a key growth driver thanks to geographical proximity, expanding air links and rising demand for intra-regional travel.

Long-haul markets also maintained solid growth. Visitor numbers from the US rose 18.3 per cent, Canada 25.1 per cent, Australia 22.5 per cent and New Zealand 22.4 per cent. These markets made a great contribution to tourism revenue as their visitors typically stay longer and spend more.

With the peak international travel season approaching from late in the third quarter through the end of the year, the VNAT expects the sector to maintain its growth momentum by capitalising on visa facilitation, expanding air services, diversifying tourism products and stepping up promotion in key foreign markets, bringing Việt Nam closer to its goal of welcoming 25 million foreign visitors in 2026. — VNA/VNS