Vietnam Among World’s 28 Most Beautiful Countries
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Vietnam’s tourism sector has, for the first time, recorded more than 2 million international arrivals per month over three consecutive months. According to the National Tourism Authority, in March 2026 alone, Vietnam welcomed nearly 2.1 million international visitors, bringing the total number for the first quarter to 6.76 million arrivals (up 12.4% year-on-year compared to 2025). This marks the highest first-quarter figure ever recorded.

Foreign tourists at Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

This achievement once again affirms the appeal, resilience, and increasingly solid position of Vietnam’s tourism industry amid global uncertainties.

Of the 6.76 million international visitors to Vietnam in the first quarter of 2026, arrivals by air accounted for 82.3%, by land 15.5%, and by sea 2.2%.

The overwhelming share of air transport indicates that Vietnam is strongly attracting travelers from mid-haul and long-haul markets - segments directly affected by geopolitical fluctuations and rising fuel costs.

Amid tensions in the Middle East driving up oil prices and disrupting certain international flight routes, the continued high volume of air travelers reflects not only Vietnam’s connectivity capacity, but more importantly, international tourists’ confidence in the country as a safe, stable, and accessible destination.

This factor is particularly significant, as for long-haul markets, destination choices increasingly depend not only on tourism resources, but also on safety and travel convenience.

Meanwhile, the 15.5% of visitors arriving by land continues to underscore the important role of neighboring markets such as China, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. These markets benefit from geographical proximity, reasonable costs, rapid recovery, and high flexibility, serving as a stable “buffer” that helps Vietnam’s tourism maintain growth momentum and mitigate external shocks.

As security concerns increasingly influence travel behavior, “safety” has become a decisive criterion for international tourists. In this regard, Vietnam has emerged as a destination with a strong competitive edge, thanks to its stable political environment and well-maintained social order. These foundations have helped build trust, placing the S-shaped country firmly on the radar of international travelers.

In addition, Vietnam’s tourism appeal also stems from its rich diversity of natural resources and cultural identity. As experiential tourism, green tourism, and local exploration become increasingly popular - areas in which Vietnam holds strong advantages - its attractiveness continues to grow.

Notably, Son Doong Cave - the world’s largest cave, was recently featured on CBS’s renowned program “60 Minutes” in the United States, attracting tens of millions of viewers worldwide, demonstrating the global reach of Vietnam’s tourism image.

According to statistics for the first three months of the year, China (1.4 million arrivals) and the Republic of Korea (1.3 million arrivals) remained the two largest source markets, accounting for approximately 40% of total international arrivals to Vietnam.

Southeast Asian markets recorded strong growth, with Malaysia up 21.5%, Singapore 30.2%, Cambodia 41.1%, Indonesia 43.9%, and the Philippines 69.3%, while Thailand saw a modest increase of 6.5%. In South Asia, India continued its impressive growth at 69.3%, highlighting the vast potential of this billion-strong market.

Meanwhile, Europe, with an overall growth rate of 55.6%, stood out in Vietnam’s tourism growth picture. Notably, in March 2026, despite disruptions to many international routes due to Middle East conflicts, long-haul markets from Europe to Vietnam still recorded year-on-year increases compared to 2025.

Visitor numbers from Canada (+24.2%), New Zealand (+19.4%), Poland (+19.2%), Switzerland (+18.9%), Australia (+18.4%), the United States (+17.0%), Denmark (+13.9%), Germany (+15.2%), and Norway (+12.0%) all rose. In particular, the Russian market surged by 163.4%, indicating growing interest from travelers in Vietnam as a destination.

These figures point to a clear trend: Vietnam is not only expanding in scale but also diversifying its markets, thereby enhancing sustainability.

According to leaders of the National Tourism Authority, the expansion of visa exemptions, extended stays, increased entry points applying e-visas, and higher frequency of international flights have all contributed to the sector’s positive growth in the first quarter.

At the same time, promotional and marketing efforts are being implemented in a more professional and focused manner by the Vietnam National Tourism Authority and the entire sector, under the spirit of “joint strength - breakthrough,” leveraging public-private partnerships and effectively utilizing digital media platforms. Vietnam is presenting itself to the world not only as a beautiful and attractive destination, but also as a friendly, hospitable, stable, and trustworthy country.

Thus, the growth results of Vietnam’s tourism sector in the first quarter of 2026 are not merely quantitative gains, but a reflection of the convergence of core competitive strengths in a highly uncertain global context.

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