HANOI, Feb 10 (WAM/APP): Vietnam’s tourism sector recorded a monthly record for international arrivals in January, welcoming nearly 2.5 million visitors, official data showed, signaling strong momentum at the start of 2026.
International arrivals rose 21.4 month-on-month and 18.5 percent year-on-year, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported, citing data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).
Asian visitors accounted for more than 73 percent of arrivals, or about 1.8 million. The Republic of Korea remained the largest source market, with nearly 490,000 visitors, up about 26 percent month-on-month and over 17 percent year-on-year. Japan posted gains of 41 percent from the previous month and nearly 17 percent from a year earlier, while China remained the second-largest market with close to 460,000 arrivals, despite a year-on-year decline.
Southeast Asia posted strong momentum, with arrivals from the Philippines up 75 percent, Singapore 51.7 percent, Indonesia 41.4 percent and Thailand 10.6 percent. Notably, arrivals from Cambodia surged to more than three times the previous month and over double the same period last year.
Notably, India emerged as a standout potential market, growing 80.5 percent year-on-year to nearly 88,000 visitors, highlighting Vietnam’s success in diversifying source markets.
Meanwhile, Europe became a bright spot, welcoming around 424,000 visitors, up over 35 percent month-on-month and nearly 60 percent year-on-year. Major markets such as Russia, the UK, France and Germany all recorded double-digit growth, with Russia surging 195.1 percent and Poland 98.7 percent.