VIETNAM TARGETS 25 MILLION INTERNATIONAL VISITORS IN 2026

Foreign tourists stroll along a street in downtown HCMC - PHOTO: DAT THANH

HCMC – Vietnam’s tourism industry aims to attract 25 million international visitors in 2026, building on strong growth and record performance in 2025, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).

The target was announced at a conference held on December 24 to review the sector’s 2025 performance and outline tasks for 2026.

VNAT Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh said 2025 marked a significant year for Vietnam, coinciding with major national anniversaries and key political events. For tourism, the year also marked the sector’s 65th anniversary and a strong post-pandemic rebound.

In 2025, Vietnam’s tourism growth outpaced both global and regional averages. International arrivals rose by about 22%, compared with global tourism growth of around 5% and 8% in the Asia-Pacific region. Compared with pre-Covid-19 levels, Vietnam’s tourism recovery exceeded 110%, while Asia-Pacific as a whole reached about 90%.

Vietnam also received multiple international tourism awards during the year. UN Tourism named Lo Lo Chai in Tuyen Quang Province (formerly Ha Giang Province) and Quynh Son in Lang Son Province as among the world’s Best Tourism Villages. Vietnam was also recognized for the sixth time as the World’s Leading Heritage Destination and for the seventh time as Asia’s Leading Destination.

Thanks to these gains, Vietnam welcomed an estimated 21.5 million international visitors in 2025. Domestic travel reached about 135.5 million trips. Total tourism revenue exceeded VND1 quadrillion, a record for the sector.

VNAT said these results marked a new phase of development in terms of scale, quality and global positioning, and laid the foundation for further expansion.

For 2026, Vietnam aims to serve 25 million international visitors and 150 million domestic tourists. Total tourism revenue is projected at around VND1.125 quadrillion, as the sector seeks to strengthen its role as a key pillar of the national economy.

Source: The Saigon Times

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