Figure 1. International visitors by month in 2019 - 2026 (thousands of arrivals)

Notably, although May is typically a low season for international tourism while domestic travel begins to peak, Vietnamstill recorded nearly 1.8 million international arrivals - the highest ever for this month. This reflects the country’s strong attractiveness and its sustained growth momentum in the global tourism market.

Amid ongoing global challenges, including geopolitical tensions, conflicts, and economic difficulties, Vietnam continues to stand out as a safe destination with a stable socio-political environment, competitive travel costs, an expanding international air network, diverse tourism products, and increasingly open visa policies. These advantages have enabled the tourism sector to effectively capture opportunities, expand market share, improve growth quality, and strengthen Viet Nam’s image as an attractive and safe destination globally.

In the first five months of 2026, Viet Nam’s top 10 source markets were China, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan (China), Cambodia, the United States, India, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia. China and South Korea remained the two largest markets, accounting for nearly 40% of total international arrivals.

Russia notably climbed to third place after a strong growth phase, with arrivals in the first five months reaching approximately 90% of its full-year 2019 level, indicating a strong recovery of this key source market.

Cambodia rose to fifth place, reflecting strong growth potential within regional travel flows, driven by increasing demand for tourism, shopping, family visits, and trade exchanges between the two countries.

India continued to record rapid growth and is expected to reach 1 million arrivals in 2026. Meanwhile, Japan, although still among the top 10 markets, dropped to 8th place with growth of 11.8%, below the overall international average of 14.9% and significantly lower than several emerging markets.

Figure 2. Top 10 source markets in the first 5 months of 2026 (thousands of arrivals)

By region, Southeast Asia remained a key growth driver. The Philippines recorded exceptional growth of 71.9%, moving into the top nine source markets, surpassing Malaysia and Australia. Other regional markets also posted strong increases, including Cambodia (+40.2%), Indonesia (+28.7%), Singapore (+28.5%), and Malaysia (+21.0%), while Thailand slightly grew by 8.5%. South Asia also showed strong momentum, with India increasing by 50.4%.

Europe recorded the strongest growth among all regions, rising 54.8% year-on-year, driven mainly by Russia, which surged 194% - the highest growth rate among all international markets. This recovery was supported by the reopening and expansion of direct flight routes, as well as Viet Nam’s competitive advantages in coastal tourism, tropical climate, and affordability.

Several Western and Northern European markets also posted stable growth, including Germany (+15.5%), France (+13.4%), the United Kingdom (+10.4%), Italy (+9.7%), Denmark (+18.5%), Norway (+23.0%), and Sweden (+25.9%). Strong increases were also seen in Poland (+51.7%), Switzerland (+25.7%), and the Czech Republic (+18.1%), contributing to the expansion of European source markets. Long-haul markets such as Australia (+21.2%) and the United States (+18.8%) also maintained solid growth.

Japanese tourists visited Bat Trang Museum in Ha Noi

With 42% of its annual target achieved after five months, Viet Nam’s tourism sector continues to demonstrate strong recovery and growth momentum, creating favorable conditions to achieve its goal of 25 million international arrivals in 2026 and contributing to the country’s double-digit economic growth objectives.

Tourism Information Technology Center