The tourism boom in Vietnam continued strongly as the nation successfully attracted almost sixteen million foreign tourists during the first eight months of 2026, according to a news report by VnExpress.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…
Vietnam welcomed nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.
In the first eight months of this year, the country received nearly 16 million foreign visitors, an increase of 14.4% from the same period in 2025 and equivalent to 63.6% of the full-year target.
The August figure is notable as the month is usually considered part of the low season for international tourism.
The result shows that the country’s tourism market continued to maintain and expand its appeal. Air travel remained the main mode of entry, accounting for 83% of international arrivals, while arrivals by road continued to increase, particularly from neighboring countries.
By region, Asia was still Vietnam’s largest source market, with about 11.8 million visitors in the eight-month period, making up nearly 74% of the total and increasing 7.4% year-on-year.
Europe recorded the strongest growth among major regions, at 53.4%, with about 2.68 million visitors.
Arrivals from the Americas reached around 887,000, up 20.7%, while those from Oceania rose 23.3% to nearly 489,000. Africa sent about 45,000 visitors to Vietnam, up 25.1%.
The tourism authority said the figures show that Vietnam is expanding its reach beyond nearby Asian markets, with strong growth from long-haul markets, helping diversify the visitor base and reduce dependence on individual markets.
By country, China remained Vietnam’s largest source market, with 3.54 million visitors, accounting for about 22.3% of the total. South Korea ranked second with approximately 2.76 million visitors, or 17.3%. Together, the two markets provided more than 6.3 million visitors, nearly 40% of the country’s total.
Russia ranked third with more than 1 million visitors, representing a year-on-year increase of about 165.7%, the highest growth among major source markets.
Other key markets also posted strong growth. Visitors from the U.S. increased 20.4%, Cambodia 41.5%, Japan 9.2%, the Philippines 58.8% and Australia 23.3%.
European markets continued to perform well, with arrivals from the U.K. rising 9.8%, France 13.4%, Germany 15.1%, Sweden 25.1%, Switzerland 27%, Poland 51.2% and the Czech Republic 28.2%. In Southeast Asia, tourists from Malaysia grew 20.5%, Singapore 31.7%, and Indonesia 26.7%.
India was another fast-growing market. The number of Indian visitors rose from just 102,000 in 2019 to more than 612,000 in the first eight months of 2026.
The expansion of direct air services between major Indian cities and Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang has helped make Vietnam more accessible to Indian travelers.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think Vietnam can attract at least 25 million foreign tourists by the end of this year? If you plan to visit Vietnam soon, what are your three main reasons for visiting?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
+++++
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco
Author Carlo Carrasco 