Foreign visitors check-in with the horse mascot besides the Huong River, Hue city, ahead of the Lunar New Year 2026 – the Year of the Horse. Photo: VNA  

Vietnam saw nearly 2.5 million international arrivals in January 2026 – the highest monthly total ever recorded, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).

The number rose 21.4% compared with the previous month and 18.5% year on year.

The VNAT said the milestone figure is notable not only for its scale but also for the evolving growth structure across source markets.

Nearby Asian markets remained the backbone, accounting for around 1.8 million visitors, or more than 73% of total arrivals, though growth varied across the region.

The Republic of Korea (RoK) remained a key driver with nearly 490,000 arrivals, up about 26% month on month and more than 17% year on year. The market continues to expand steadily, reflecting Vietnam’s enduring appeal of beach resorts, golf tourism and family travel, alongside strong air connectivity between the two countries.

Japan recorded robust growth, rising 41% month on month and 16.9% year on year, signalling a strong recovery in the high-spending visitor segment.

China, while down from a year earlier, still generated nearly 460,000 visitors, ranking second only to the RoK.

In Southeast Asia, several markets posted impressive gains: the Philippines grew by the most – at 75%, Singapore 51.7%, Indonesia 41.4%, and Thailand 10.6%. Cambodia was particularly notable, with arrivals tripling month on month and more than doubling year on year. This reflects the effectiveness of ASEAN tourism cooperation programmes and Vietnam’s advantages of proximity, affordability and convenient transport links.

India – a fast-growing potential market – surged 80.5% year on year to nearly 88,000 visitors in January, highlighting Vietnam's success in diversifying source markets, the VNAT said.

Europe emerged as a bright growth spot, with around 424,000 arrivals, up more than 35% from the previous month and nearly 60% year on year. Russia, the UK, France and Germany all posted double-digit growth, with Russia and Poland seeing particularly strong increases of 195.1% and 98.7% respectively.

The VNAT attributed the growth in European arrivals to favourable visa policies, more direct flights and the appeal of long winter holidays in Vietnam. European visitors also tend to stay longer and spend more, generating significant added value.

The Americas maintained steady growth with around 137,000 visitors, up 23% month on month and 14.2% year on year. The US remained the leading long-haul market with more than 103,000 arrivals, rising 24.8% month on month, reflecting its stability and limited seasonal fluctuation.

Arrivals from Oceania rose strongly to more than 81,000, up 42% month on month, driven mainly by Australia with about 75,000 visitors.

Of the nearly 2.5 million international arrivals in January, air travel remained dominant with over 1.95 million arrivals, accounting for nearly 80% of the total, highlighting the recovery and expansion of international routes. Land arrivals nearly doubled year on year to over 440,600 arrivals, reflecting strong travel flows from neighbouring and ASEAN countries at the start of the year, while cruise tourism – though a smaller segment – still grew by 30% from a year earlier.

Overall, strong growth from Northeast Asia, ASEAN, Europe and long-haul markets indicates that Vietnam’s visitor mix is becoming increasingly diverse and sustainable – a key foundation for continued growth in 2026 and beyond, according to the VNAT.

The country looks to welcome 25 million foreign tourists in 2026, after the historic 22 million figure seen in 2025./.