VIETNAM ATTRACTS OVER 15.4 MILLION INTERNATIONAL VISITORS IN JAN-SEPT

Foreign visitors take a selfie during their trip in Vietnam - PHOTO: ARCHIVES

HCMC – Vietnam saw over 15.4 million international visitors coming in the first nine months of this year, rising 21.5% year-on-year, supported by favorable visa policy and intensified tourism promotions.

Data from the National Statistics Office showed that around 1.5 million foreign tourists came to Vietnam in September, down 9.6% compared to August but still 19.5% higher than in the same month last year. Overall, international arrivals in the January-September period reached more than 15.4 million, up 21.5% year-on-year.

The growth was attributed to easier visa rules, stronger tourism promotion campaigns, and festivities celebrating major holidays, which have helped attract more international travelers.

Air arrivals accounted for the majority with 13.1 million visitors, up 21.9% year-on-year and making up 85.2% of the total. Road arrivals reached 2.1 million, up 19.4%, while sea arrivals stood at 190,600, up 15.1%.

Asia remained Vietnam’s largest source market with 12.24 million arrivals, a 20.9% increase. Europe followed with 1.9 million, soaring 34.9%. Visitors from the Americas reached nearly 800,000, up 8.5%, while arrivals from Australia totaled 445,000, up 13.7%. Africa sent 40,700 tourists, up 4.7%.

The top five markets in January-September were China with nearly 3.9 million visitors, South Korea with 3.24 million, Taiwan with 926,400, the U.S. with 622,576, and Japan with 617,772.

Several markets recorded sharp growth, including Russia (up 273%), the Philippines (192.2%), Cambodia (150.4%), Poland (146%), and India (142.9%).

Meanwhile, outbound Vietnamese travelers numbered 1.37 million in the third quarter of 2025, down 4.8% year-on-year. In the first nine months, 5.44 million Vietnamese traveled abroad, up 33.1% against the same period last year.

Vietnam’s tourism sector is targeting 25 million international visitors this year. However, experts said the goal remains challenging, urging authorities to expand visa exemptions, develop cruise tourism, launch new air routes, diversify tourism products, improve destination management, and simplify administrative procedures.

On August 15, Vietnam began granting visa exemptions to citizens of 12 countries and territories, namely Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland, with a visa-free stay of up to 45 days for tourism purposes.

Source: The Saigon Times

Related News

INFRASTRUCTURE / CONSTRUCTION / LOGISTIC / PORT

VIỆT NAM-CAMBODIA TRADE GATHERS PACE TOWARDS $20 BILLION TARGET

Trade between Việt Nam and Cambodia continues to grow, remaining a bright spot and a key pillar of bilateral cooperation as the two countries aim to raise two-way trade to US$20 billion in the coming years. After setting a record of more than $11.3 billion last year, bilateral trade reached about $8.7 billion in the first eight months of this year, up 8.3 per cent year on year.

Oct 14, 2026

TECHNOLOGY

AI BEGINNING TO RESHAPE RECRUITMENT CRITERIA

Digital literacy is the only capability area in which fresh graduates meet employers’ expectations, according to a new report. Yet, it is also the standard rising fastest, as businesses increasingly expect new hires to use AI effectively in the workplace. Some 83 per cent of employers say AI has changed, or is beginning to change, their hiring criteria, while 94 per cent report higher expectations for digital and AI capabilities than they had two to three years ago.

Oct 14, 2026

INFRASTRUCTURE / CONSTRUCTION / LOGISTIC / PORT

ĐÀ NẴNG GREEN-LIGHTS US$105 MILLION THAI DEVELOPMENT DEAL

The central city has approved an investment proposal by Thailand’s WHA Group to develop infrastructure for the 400ha WHA Đà Nẵng Industrial Park project on two communes of Thăng Bình and Đồng Dương, with an investment of more than VNĐ2.7 trillion (US$105 million). The city said it approved WHA Industrial Development International's status as an investor in the project, which is expected to take place between 2027 and 2034.

Oct 14, 2026

VIETNAM ECONOMY INVESTMENT

MOBILE PHONE EXPORTS RISE 20% TO $51.8 BILLION IN FIRST NINE MONTHS

Exports of mobile phones and components rose 20 per cent year-on-year to nearly US$51.8 billion in the first nine months of 2026, with China, the US and Republic of Korea accounting for more than half of the total. Shipments to the three markets reached a combined $26.18 billion, or 50.6 per cent of total exports of the product group during the period, according to data from the Vietnam Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance.

Oct 14, 2026

VIETNAM ECONOMY INVESTMENT

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE EXPORTS POISED TO HIT $10 BILLION IN 2026

Fruit and vegetable exports are on track to reach nearly US$10 billion in 2026, after rising 19.9 per cent year on year to nearly US$7.4 billion in the first nine months, driven by strong seasonal demand and abundant tropical fruit supplies. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said the growth reflected stronger international demand for fresh produce and processed agricultural products.

Oct 14, 2026

GARMENT / TEXTILE

TEXTILE EXPORTS FACE DUAL CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINING ORDERS AND BOOSTING EFFICIENCY AMID GROWING COMPETITION

Data shows that the textile and garment sector maintained its growth momentum in the first nine months of this year. The industry's total export turnover reached an estimated US$35.721 billion in the first nine months of this year, up 3.3 per cent year-on-year. Despite posting encouraging export figures, Vietnamese textile and garment enterprises continue to navigate unpredictable market variables.

Oct 14, 2026