Data from the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance shows that in March 2026 alone, Vietnam received nearly 2.1 million international arrivals, up 1.3% year-on-year.

For the first three months of the year, total international arrivals reached 6.76 million, up 12.4% compared to the same period last year - the highest first-quarter figure ever recorded.

Among these, traditional markets continued to lead in both March and the overall first quarter. China remained Vietnam’s largest source market with more than 1.4 million visitors, followed by South Korea with nearly 1.33 million. Russia contributed more than 367,000 visitors, Cambodia 330,000, Taiwan (China) over 316,000, the US more than 302,000, and India nearly 243,000.

In 2025, Vietnam welcomed nearly 21.2 million international visitors.

However, growth has slowed in major markets such as China and South Korea, while several Southeast Asian markets recorded strong increases. The Philippines rose by 69.3%, Cambodia by 41%, Singapore by 30%, Indonesia by nearly 44%, and Malaysia by 21.5%.

India also maintained strong momentum, with visitor numbers increasing by more than 69% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year.

Arrivals from Europe and the Americas also saw notable growth, including Poland up 52%, Norway 26%, Switzerland more than 27%, Sweden 27.5%, and both Denmark and Italy rising by over 20%.

Particularly remarkable was the surge from Russia, with more than 120,000 visitors in March alone, up 163% year-on-year. This brought the total number of Russian visitors in the first quarter to 367,168, representing a sharp increase of 194.5% compared to the same period in 2025.

In 2025, the Russian market recorded the highest growth among Vietnam’s international visitor sources, with arrivals nearly tripling compared to 2024. This figure also surpassed the 646,524 visitors recorded in 2019 - before the Covid-19 pandemic - marking the highest level in a decade.

According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam’s stable political and social environment, improved safety, increasingly open visa policies, more professional promotion activities, and a diverse range of tourism products aligned with market trends, along with continuously improving service quality, have created a strong foundation for attracting international visitors.

In 2026, Vietnam’s tourism sector aims to make a breakthrough with 25 million international arrivals and 150 million domestic tourists, targeting total revenue of VND1.125 quadrillion (approximately US$46 billion).

Leaders of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism noted that this goal is based on the sector’s impressive growth in recent years. Currently, international arrivals to Vietnam are increasing at an average rate of around 22% per year, significantly higher than the global tourism growth rate of about 5% and well above the 8% average in the Asia-Pacific region.

Notably, compared to the pre-pandemic period, Vietnam’s tourism industry has recovered to over 110%, while the Asia-Pacific region has only reached around 90%.

Ngoc Ha