Vietnam records 6.76 million international arrivals in Q1 2026, a new quarterly record

International arrivals to Vietnam hit a record high in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 6.76 million visitors, according to data released by the General Statistics Office. The figure represents an increase of more than 12% year over year and marks the highest level ever recorded for Q1.

Q1 2026 arrivals: record 6.76 million

In March alone, Vietnam welcomed nearly 2.1 million international visitors, up 1.3% from a year earlier. Over the full quarter, total international arrivals were 6.76 million, up more than 12% year over year and a record for the first quarter.

What is driving the increase

Authorities attributed the surge to a stable and safe political and social environment, along with more open visa policies. They also cited professionalized promotion activities, a more diverse product mix, and improved service quality as factors drawing more foreign visitors.

Transport mix: air dominates, land and sea grow

Air travel remained the main route for international arrivals, with 5.56 million visitors in Q1—over 82% of the market share—up 7% year over year. Arrivals by land increased sharply by 53%, reaching 1.05 million and accounting for 15.5% of arrivals. Sea arrivals also rose, exceeding 148,200 visitors, up more than 11%.

Source markets: Asia leads; Europe surges

Asia remained Vietnam’s largest source of tourists, with more than 4.9 million arrivals in Q1, up more than 104% year over year. China led with over 1.4 million arrivals, followed by South Korea with over 1.32 million.

Several regional markets recorded strong growth versus the previous year, including India (over 169%), the Philippines (over 169%), and Indonesia (about 144%).

Europe delivered the strongest growth story, contributing over 1.23 million arrivals in the quarter, up nearly 156% year over year. The rebound was largely driven by the Russian market, which recorded about 367,170 arrivals, up 294.5% year over year. In the Americas and Australia, arrivals also increased, with 403,175 and 189,670 visitors in Q1, respectively.

Outbound travel and domestic travel price movements

In contrast, Vietnamese outbound travel in Q1 totaled about 1.2 million departures, down 55% year over year.

For domestic travel, the price index for the culture, entertainment and travel groups in March fell slightly by 0.05% due to softer hotel demand. However, packaged tour prices rose: tours increased 0.81%, with outbound tours up 1.36% and domestic tours up 0.72%. The increases were driven mainly by higher transport, accommodation and service costs.

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