Tourists visiting the Temple of Literature in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam received nearly 14 million international visitors in the first seven months of 2026, on track to achieve its target of 25 million foreign arrivals this year, with Europe emerging as the fastest-growing source market.

According to the latest report from the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance, the country welcomed 1.67 million international visitors in July, up 6.6 per cent year-on-year. Total international arrivals reached 13.9 million in the January–July period, an increase of 13.8 per cent compared to the same period last year, meeting 56 per cent of the full-year target.

Of the total figure, 11.5 million visitors travelled by air, accounting for 82.8 per cent of all foreign visitors and marking a 10.7 per cent year-on-year increase. Land arrivals reached 2.2 million, up 33.6 per cent, while sea arrivals totalled 210,900, an increase of 14.7 per cent.

The figures were recorded despite continued global economic uncertainties and during what is traditionally the low season for inbound tourism to Việt Nam.

Tourism authorities said sustained double-digit growth reflected the country's continued appeal as a destination, supported by visa facilitation measures, expanded international air connectivity, stronger tourism promotion, and improvements in tourism products and services.

With more than 13.9 million international visitors already recorded, Việt Nam is expected to benefit from the peak inbound travel season beginning in late September and extending through the final quarter of the year.

Authorities said continued implementation of liberal visa policies, further expansion of international air services, product diversification and intensified marketing campaigns in key overseas markets would help maintain growth momentum and support the country's goal of welcoming 25 million international visitors in 2026.

Market breakdown

China remained Việt Nam's largest source market so far this year, accounting for around 3.1 million visitors, or 22.2 per cent of total international arrivals. South Korea ranked second with 2.4 million visitors, reaffirming its position as one of Việt Nam's most important and stable traditional markets.

Russia continued to stand out as the country's third-largest source market and Europe's largest, with 864,000 visitors, soaring 174 per cent compared to the first seven months of 2025 and more than doubling pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

The rebound has been attributed to the restoration of direct flights, increased flight frequencies, as well as strong demand among Russian holidaymakers for beach destinations in Việt Nam.

Among the country's 10 largest source markets, Northeast Asia remained the dominant region, with China, South Korea, Taiwan (China), which sent 747,000 visitors, and Japan with 498,000 arrivals.

Visitor count from Cambodia hit 565,000 and the Philippines 417,000, while 553,000 tourists came from India, highlighting the growing importance of the South Asian market.

Long-haul markets also featured prominently in the top 10, including the United States with 617,000 visitors and Australia with 397,000.

Europe recorded the strongest regional growth, with arrivals rising by an average of 53.4 per cent year-on-year.

Besides Russia, Poland posted a 51.3 per cent increase, followed by the Czech Republic at 28.6 per cent, Sweden at 24.7 per cent and Switzerland at 21.7 per cent. All of these countries benefit from Việt Nam's visa exemption policy, underscoring the impact of easier entry procedures in attracting higher numbers of visitors.

The robust performance is particularly significant as European travellers typically stay longer and spend more than visitors from many other markets, contributing greater value to the tourism sector.

Within Asia, the Philippines recorded the fastest growth at 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).

Tourism authorities attributed the upbeat regional performance to geographical proximity, expanding flight networks, and growing demand for intra-Asian travel.

Other high-spending long-haul markets also maintained healthy growth. Arrivals from the United States increased 18.3 per cent, Canada 25.1 per cent, Australia 22.5 per cent and New Zealand 22.4 per cent.— VNS