Foreign tourists enjoy a game of beach volleyball on Nha Trang Beach in the south-central province of Khánh Hòa. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Triệu

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam welcomed an estimated 12.3 million international visitors in the first six months of 2026, up 14.9 per cent year-on-year and nearly half of its annual target.

According to the latest report by the National Statistics Office of Việt Nam under the Ministry of Finance, the sector maintained strong growth thanks to favourable visa policies, intensified tourism promotion campaigns, product diversification and efforts to expand international source markets.

In June alone, an estimated 1.68 million foreigners arrived, up 14.7 per cent from the same month last year.

Asian markets remained the largest source of visitors, contributing a little over 9 million arrivals, up 7.7 per cent year-on-year. Europe ranked second with 2 million visitors, recording the strongest growth of 56.1 per cent.

Arrivals from the Americas, Oceania, and Africa totalled 694,000, 371,000 and 30,000, respectively, with growth ranging from 19.1 per cent to 22.2 per cent.

Of the total international arrivals, 10.1 million came by air, accounting for 82.6 per cent. Land arrivals reached 1.9 million, representing 15.7 per cent of the total and rising 37.5 per cent from a year earlier. Sea arrivals totalled 209,000, making up 1.7 per cent of international arrivals and increasing 15.2 per cent year-on-year.

The number of Vietnamese citizens travelling abroad in the second quarter of 2026 was estimated at 1.5 million, up 7.1 per cent compared with the same period last year. For the first six months of 2026, the total number of outbound Vietnamese travellers reached 2.7 million, down 33.9 per cent year-on-year.

Visitors tour the Vĩnh Tràng Pagoda, a national historical and cultural relic site, in Mỹ Phong Ward, the Mekong Delta province of Đồng Tháp. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Thái

According to Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), the domestic tourism market continued to perform strongly, with an estimated 81 million domestic trips during the first half of the year, equivalent to 54 per cent of the annual target. Total tourism revenue reached VNĐ569 trillion, or 50.5 per cent of the year's goal.

VNAT General Director Nguyễn Trùng Khánh said 2026 is a particularly significant year as the tourism industry has been tasked with contributing to the country's target of achieving double-digit economic growth.

He said the sector had introduced a range of innovative initiatives over the past six months, with tourism promotion and marketing remaining a key focus.

Notable activities included participation in and co-organisation of major tourism events such as the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), TRAVEX 2026 in the Philippines, the Việt Nam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2026, and the HCM City Tourism Festival.

The sector also strengthened international partnerships by signing memoranda of understanding with Mastercard and VFS Global to promote Việt Nam's tourism industry, while launching a nationwide promotional campaign highlighting all 34 centrally governed cities and provinces.

Khánh said coordinated efforts by VNAT, local authorities and tourism businesses had resulted in a range of attractive new tourism products, helping stimulate demand for leisure, shopping and sightseeing during peak holiday periods.

Looking ahead, VNAT plans to accelerate reforms in the second half of the year by proposing new policies and implementation mechanisms for the Government's strategy to develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector in the new era.

The authority will also submit development plans for tourism in the Red River Delta and finalise the Việt Nam Tourism Development Strategy to 2030.

Other priorities include strengthening the competitiveness of tourism enterprises and their participation in global tourism value chains; promoting agricultural, rural and wellness tourism; modernising tourism marketing and communications; aligning tourism statistics with international standards; and improving destination management, service quality and environmental protection.

In tourism promotion, VNAT will organise marketing programmes in key and emerging markets, coordinate activities under the National Tourism Year–Gia Lai 2026, and participate in major international travel fairs including WTM London 2026 and ITE 2026, alongside annual domestic tourism events.

It also plans to host the National Tourism Promotion Conference 2027, international tourism meetings under cooperation frameworks, as well as the National Green Tourism Forum 2026.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hồ An Phong urged the sector to closely monitor emerging trends, including medical tourism, rail tourism and the expansion of air routes connecting Việt Nam with key international markets, to support more effective policymaking.

He also called on VNAT to further refine tourism growth scenarios, conduct in-depth studies of priority markets and propose breakthrough measures to capitalise on international cooperation opportunities. Greater collaboration among airlines, local authorities, travel companies and accommodation providers, he said, would be essential to developing more competitive tourism products and demand-stimulation programmes. — VNS