As of the end of October, Vietnam’s 2026 count of foreign visitors reached 19.5 million, according to a news report by VnExpress. This puts Vietnam in a good position to overtake its 2025 grand total of 21.2 million foreign visitors although it has yet to be seen if it can attract 25 million this year.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…
Vietnam received 19.5 million international visitors in the first 10 months of 2026, a 13.8% increase from a year earlier.
Mainland China remained Vietnam’s largest source market, with 4.3 million visitors, accounting for about 22% of the total, according to the General Statistics Office.
South Korea ranked second with approximately 3.3 million visitors, or 17.3%. Russia ranked third with 1.2 million, followed by Taiwan (1.07 million) and the U.S. (808,000).
The rest of the top 10 were Cambodia (787,000), Japan (757,000), India (744,000), the Philippines (579,000) and Australia (542,000).
Vietnam has remained a popular choice for international travelers, supported by its safety reputation, favorable visa policies, stronger tourism promotion efforts and a wide range of travel experiences, GSO wrote.
In October, the number of international visitors to Vietnam reached 1.85 million, an increase of 4.9% from the previous month and 7% compared to the same period last year.
The tourism industry attributed October’s visitor growth partly to two concerts by South Korean music group BigBang in Hanoi on Oct. 24–25.
Vietnam eyes 25 million international arrivals by the end of this year.
Dr Daisy Kanagasapapathy, Lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality Management, RMIT Vietnam, told VnExpress International the target is within sight.
Vietnam needs about 7.3 million arrivals in the final quarter, an average of more than 2.4 million a month.
“That calls for a strong finish, and the fourth quarter is the start of the October–March peak tourism season,” she added.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think Vietnam has all the factors and momentum to successfully attract 25 million tourists from around the world by the end of this year? If you are planning to visit Vietnam, what are the three main reasons behind your decision to go there? Did any of your friends visit Vietnam and shared their observations with you?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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