VIETNAM’S Q1 FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS HIT RECORD HIGH

Foreign tourists walk along Nguyen Van Binh Book Street in HCMC - PHOTO: NGUYEN PHONG

• HCMC launches tourism stimulus program for summer season
• HCMC Tourism Festival 2026 opens, targets summer travel demand

HCMC – Vietnam welcomed nearly 2.1 million international visitors in March, bringing first quarter foreign tourist arrivals to 6.76 million, up 12.4% year-on-year and marking a record high for the period, the national authority for tourism said.

Air travel accounted for 82.3% of international arrivals, followed by land at 15.5% and sea at 2.2%, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

Despite tensions in the Middle East pushing up fuel prices and disrupting some international routes, air arrivals remained strong, reflecting Vietnam’s connectivity and appeal to international travelers.

Meanwhile, land arrivals highlighted the continued importance of neighboring markets such as China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, whose proximity, lower travel costs and faster recovery have helped support overall growth.

China and South Korea remained Vietnam’s top source markets in the first quarter of this year, with 1.4 million and 1.3 million visitors respectively, making up about 40% of total arrivals.

In Southeast Asia, several markets recorded strong growth, including Malaysia up 21.5%, Singapore up 30.2%, Cambodia up 41.1%, Indonesia up 43.9% and the Philippines up 69.3%, while Thailand rose 6.5%. In South Asia, India also posted a 69.3% increase.

European markets grew by about 55.6% overall. In March alone, arrivals from Europe still rose from a year earlier despite disruptions to some international routes.

Several markets posted gains, including Canada up 24.2%, New Zealand up 19.4%, Poland up 19.2%, Switzerland up 18.9%, Australia up 18.4%, the United States up 17%, Denmark up 13.9%, Germany up 15.2% and Norway up 12%, while Russia surged 163.4%.

The tourism authority said expanded visa exemptions, longer stays, more entry points for e-visa holders and increased international flight frequencies helped drive growth in the first quarter.

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