HANOI: Vietnam recorded its strongest ever month for inbound tourism in January 2026, welcoming nearly 2.5 million foreign visitors, according to official statistics. The total was the highest monthly figure on record and marked a sharp rise from the end of 2025, underscoring the pace of recovery in Vietnam tourism and international travel demand. Authorities reported the January performance as a key early-year milestone after Vietnam posted another strong year for foreign arrivals in 2025.
Official data put January’s international arrivals at 2,453,724, up 21.4% from December 2025 and up 18.5% from January 2025. Air travel remained the dominant entry route, with 1,954,511 visitors arriving by plane. Land crossings accounted for 440,691 entries, while 58,522 visitors arrived by sea, reflecting a growing contribution from cruise tourism. The figures combine arrivals across airports, land border gates and seaports.
Asian markets made up the bulk of January traffic, with about 1.8 million arrivals, or more than seven in 10 visitors. Europe contributed roughly 424,000 arrivals, with the Americas at about 137,000 and Oceania at around 81,000. Tourism authorities said European arrivals posted one of the fastest year-on-year gains among major regions, rising nearly 60% compared with the same month a year earlier, alongside broader growth across short- and long-haul markets.
By country and territory, South Korea was the largest source market in January with nearly 490,000 visitors, followed by China with about 460,000, according to government-compiled tallies. Cambodia ranked among the biggest contributors with more than 223,000 arrivals, reflecting the importance of overland travel. Other leading markets included Taiwan, Japan, the United States, Australia, Russia, India and Malaysia, reinforcing Vietnam’s reliance on a diverse mix of regional and long-haul demand.
Air and land arrivals rise
A closer look at the entry channels highlighted strong expansion at border gates as well as continued strength in aviation. Land entries were reported up 92.9% year on year, reaching more than 440,000 visitors in January. Sea arrivals totaled about 58,500, with authorities reporting cruise visitors up about 30% from a year earlier. The air segment, at nearly 2.0 million arrivals, remained the main driver of total volumes, reflecting the central role of international flight capacity in Vietnam travel.
Vietnam’s visa and entry framework has been reshaped in recent years, with policies that allow eligible travelers to use an electronic visa valid for up to 90 days, including options for single or multiple entry. Authorities have also expanded the list of entry and exit points available for e-visa holders, increasing the number of approved checkpoints to 83 after adding 41 locations under a government resolution issued in December 2025. The changes broaden the network of airports, land gates and seaports that can process e-visa travel.
Vietnam has also introduced a targeted visa-free scheme as part of its tourism stimulus measures, allowing citizens of 12 European countries to enter for up to 45 days without a visa under a program running from Aug. 15, 2025 to Aug. 14, 2028. The countries covered are Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. The policy adds to Vietnam’s wider mix of entry options for international visitors.
Targets for 2026
Vietnam’s tourism authorities have set national goals for 2026 that include 25 million international visitors, 150 million domestic trips and tourism revenue of about 1.125 quadrillion Vietnamese dong. The January record provides an early data point for the year, as officials track arrivals by market, entry mode and seasonality. Authorities have framed the 2026 targets as part of broader efforts to restore and expand the tourism sector’s contribution to growth, jobs and services across major destinations.
The January surge follows a strong year in 2025, when Vietnam reported more than 20 million international arrivals, placing the country among the region’s most rapidly rebounding destinations. Tourism officials have pointed to expanding connectivity, smoother entry procedures and the return of major source markets as key measurable factors behind the higher totals. With nearly 2.5 million visitors in one month, January 2026 set a new benchmark for Vietnam tourism and highlighted the scale of inbound demand moving into the year. – By Content Syndication Services.