International arrivals to Hanoi in Q1 jump nearly 29% year on year

The Hanoi Department of Tourism said on Monday that the city welcomed around 8.82 million visitors in the January–March period, up 20.5 percent from a year earlier.

Of the total, 6.42 million were domestic tourists, up 17.7 percent year on year, while international arrivals accounted for the remaining 2.4 million, up 28.7 percent.

Total tourism revenue reached approximately VND37 trillion (nearly US$1.4 billion) in the quarter, up 23.1 percent from a year ago, driven by higher spending from both international and domestic tourists.

The sharp increase in foreign arrivals underscores Hanoi’s growing appeal, supported by improved services, more diversified tourism products, and sustained promotional efforts.

In March alone, the capital received about 3.05 million visitors, a year-on-year spike of 15.7 percent, of which international arrivals were estimated at 851,000, rising 17.7 percent, while domestic visitors totaled around 2.2 million, up 14.9 percent.

Tourism revenue in March was estimated at VND12.9 trillion (nearly $490 million), up 16.4 percent year on year.

The accommodation sector remained stable amid rising demand, with average hotel occupancy reaching 62.9 percent in March and 62.6 percent for the first quarter, both slightly higher than a year earlier.

Hanoi currently has 3,761 accommodation establishments offering more than 71,000 rooms, including a growing portfolio of three- to five-star hotels and serviced apartments catering to increasing numbers of international guests.

The city has continued to develop new tourism offerings, particularly those linked to cultural heritage, traditional craft villages, and rural experiences.

Emerging products include agricultural and craft village tours in Bat Trang Commune, community-based tourism featuring the Muong ethnic culture in My Duc Commune, and heritage exploration routes in Ha Mo tourist site.

A series of large-scale events held in early 2026 also helped boost visitor numbers, including the Happy Lunar New Year (Tet) 2026 program, the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2026, and the ‘Get on Hanoi 2026’ campaign.

Looking ahead, the city plans to sustain growth in international arrivals by improving service quality, accelerating digital transformation, and strengthening global promotion efforts.

At the same time, the city will step up the development of new tourism products such as rural tourism, craft village tours, and heritage experiences, while also carrying out surveys and preparing dossiers for recognition of additional key tourism areas, including Ba Vi, Huong Son, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the Old Quarter.

In 2026, the capital aims to welcome more than 35.8 million visitors, including 8.5 million international arrivals.