China remains Vietnam's largest source of foreign visitors in H1-2026

Vietnam received about 1.7 million international visitors in June, up 14.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Statistics Office.

International arrivals totaled nearly 12.3 million in the January-June period, despite the traditional low season for inbound tourism.

The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism said the country continued to attract visitors as a safe and stable destination with competitive costs and diverse tourism offerings despite global economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions.

It attributed the growth to relaxed visa policies, expanded international air connectivity, and stronger tourism promotion in key overseas markets.

China remained the largest inbound market with 2.7 million arrivals in the first half, followed by South Korea with 2.16 million. 

Together, the two markets accounted for about 40 percent of all international visitors to Vietnam.

Russia ranked third with 742,700 visitors, maintaining strong growth, followed by Taiwan, the United States, Cambodia, India, and Japan.

Among Southeast Asian markets, the Philippines posted the fastest growth, with arrivals rising 67.6 percent from a year earlier, remaining among Vietnam's top 10 source markets.

India led growth in South Asia, with visitor arrivals increasing 45.6 percent.

Visitor arrivals from Europe also continued to expand during the low season, averaging growth of about 56 percent, the tourism authority said.

Russia and several Western and Northern European markets, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Denmark, recorded growth ranging from 10 percent to 52 percent.

Vietnam expects inbound tourism to strengthen further in the second half of the year as the peak travel season begins for visitors from Northeast Asia, Europe, and North America, supporting its target of attracting 25 million international arrivals in 2026.