Vietnam received an estimated 17.7 million international visitors in the first nine months of 2026, up 14.5% year on year. The National Statistics Office said the figure was the highest for the first nine months in recent years.
International arrivals in September reached an estimated 1.77 million. That was 11.3% below August but 16.1% above September a year earlier, making it the highest September figure in five years, according to the office.
Vietnam received about 5.4 million international visitors in the third quarter, down 1.1% from the previous quarter and up 13.8% year on year.
Of the third-quarter arrivals, 4.6 million travelled by air, up 13.0% year on year. Another 806,600 entered by land, up 14.8%, while 34,500 arrived by sea, a 271.7% increase from a year earlier.
Air travel remained the main gateway during the first nine months. Of the 17.7 million visitors, 14.7 million, or 83.2%, arrived by air, up 11.9% year on year. Land arrivals totalled 2.7 million, or 15.4%, up 29.9%. Sea arrivals reached 243,400, or 1.4%, up 27.7%.
The National Statistics Office linked the growth to Vietnam's security and social stability, visa policies, tourism promotion, a wider range of tourism products, natural landscapes, cultural heritage, cuisine and competitive travel costs.
The nine-month total represents nearly 71% of Vietnam's target of 25 million international visitors for 2026. The peak international travel season, which runs from October to March, is approaching.
China and South Korea remain the largest markets
China and South Korea remained Vietnam's two largest source markets in the first nine months, according to data from the National Authority of Tourism.
China ranked first with nearly 4 million visitors. South Korea followed with about 3.1 million.
Other major markets included Russia, Taiwan, the United States, Cambodia, Japan, India, the Philippines and Australia.
Arrivals from Europe increased 55.0% year on year, compared with 7.6% from Asia, 21.0% from Oceania, 20.0% from the Americas and 29.4% from Africa. Asia remained the largest source region, accounting for about three quarters of all international arrivals.
Several Southeast Asian markets also recorded strong growth, including the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Arrivals from India and Australia continued to increase as well.
The figures show that Vietnam's visitor base is expanding beyond its traditional Northeast Asian markets, with Europe providing a particularly strong source of growth.
Tourism supports growth in services
The tourism recovery coincided with continued growth in Vietnam's service sector.
Retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue reached an estimated VND5.93 quadrillion in the first nine months, up 13.4% year on year, according to the National Statistics Office. Revenue from accommodation and catering rose 16.7%.
Vietnam's GDP grew 9.01% in the first nine months of 2026, while the service sector expanded 8.69%.
An estimated 4.3 million Vietnamese travelled abroad in the first nine months, down 21.2% from the same period last year.
Sources: Viet Nam News
