Foreign tourists in the ancient town Hội An, Đà Nẵng City. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam welcomed an estimated 17.7 million international visitors in the first nine months of 2026, up 14.5 per cent year-on-year, maintaining a strong growth momentum as the tourism sector expands across major source markets.

According to the latest report available from National Statistics Office (NSO) on Saturday, this is the highest nine-month figure in recent years.

Foreign arrivals in September alone reached an estimated 1.77 million, down 11.3 per cent from August but up 16.1 per cent year-on-year. The figure was the highest for September in the past five years, the NSO said.

In the third quarter, Việt Nam received about 5.4 million international visitors, down 1.1 per cent from the previous quarter but up 13.8 per cent year-on-year.

Of the third-quarter arrivals, 4.6 million travelled by air, up 13.0 per cent year-on-year; 806,600 entered by land, up 14.8 per cent; and 34,500 arrived by sea, representing a sharp 271.7 per cent increase year-on-year.

Similarly, air transport remains dominant for whole nine-month arrivals – Of the 17.7 million arrivals, 14.7 million, or 83.2 per cent, travelled by air, up 11.9 per cent year-on-year. Land arrivals totalled 2.7 million, accounting for 15.4 per cent and rising 29.9 per cent, while sea arrivals reached 243,400, accounting for 1.4 per cent and increasing 27.7 per cent.

The NSO attributed the continued growth to Việt Nam's security and social stability, favourable visa policies, stronger tourism promotion and marketing, increasingly diverse tourism products, as well as the country's natural landscapes, cultural heritage, cuisine and competitive travel costs.

With 17.7 million international arrivals by the end of September, Việt Nam has achieved nearly 71 per cent of its 2026 target of 25 million international visitors, while the peak international season in Việt Nam is approaching (lasting from October to March next year).

China and Republic of Korea remain leading markets

China and the Republic of Korea remained Việt Nam two largest international source markets in the first nine months, according to the report from the National Authority of Tourism.

China topped the list with nearly 4 million visitors, followed by the Republic of Korea with about 3.1 million, according to tourism-sector data accompanying the nine-month figures.

Other major markets included Russia, Taiwan (China), the US, Cambodia, Japan, India, the Philippines, and Australia.

The accompanying tourism data showed particularly strong growth from European markets. International arrivals from Europe increased 55.0 per cent year-on-year, compared with 7.6 per cent from Asia, 21.0 per cent from Oceania, 20.0 per cent from the Americas and 29.4 per cent from Africa.

Asia nevertheless remained the dominant source region, accounting for roughly three-quarters of total international arrivals.

Within Southeast Asia, several markets recorded robust growth, including the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. India and Australia also continued to post strong increases.

The figures point to a broadening of Việt Nam's international visitor base beyond its traditional Northeast Asian markets, while European markets have emerged as a particularly strong source of growth.

Tourism supports wider service-sector growth

The tourism recovery has coincided with continued expansion in Việt Nam's service sector.

The NSO reported that retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue reached an estimated VNĐ5.93 quadrillion in the first nine months, up 13.4 per cent year-on-year. Revenue from accommodation and catering services rose 16.7 per cent, while tourism-related services continued to record strong growth.

The tourism sector is also contributing to the country's overall economic performance. Việt Nam's GDP expanded by 9.01 per cent in the first nine months of 2026, with the service sector growing 8.69 per cent.

The number of Vietnamese travelling abroad reached an estimated 4.3 million in the first nine months, down 21.2 per cent from the same period last year. — VNS