Vietnam welcomed about 10.6 million international visitors in the first five months of 2026, up 14.9 per cent from the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office.
The figure marks the highest number of international arrivals ever recorded during the first five months of a year and represents about 42 per cent of Vietnam's target of attracting 25 million foreign visitors in 2026.
China, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan (China), Cambodia, the United States, India, Japan, the Philippines and Australia were the country's 10 largest source markets during the period.
Cambodian arrivals to Vietnam rose sharply in the first five months of 2026 (Illustrative photo: iStock).
China and South Korea alone accounted for nearly 40 per cent of all international arrivals to Vietnam.
Cambodia emerged as the fifth-largest source market, with visitor numbers rising 40.2 per cent year-on-year. The growth highlights the strong potential of regional travel demand as tourism, family visits, shopping and business exchanges between the two neighbouring countries continue to expand.
Cambodian arrivals to Vietnam have increased steadily in recent years, placing the country among Vietnam's most important tourism markets.
Vietnam welcomed 402,062 visitors from Cambodia in 2023, an increase of more than 200 per cent compared with the previous period, reflecting a strong recovery in cross-border travel after pandemic-related disruptions.
The figure rose to 474,580 in 2024, before reaching 687,132 in 2025, up 144.8 per cent from a year earlier.
Travellers wait inside Techo International Airport (Illustrative photo: Roun Ry/Reuters).
Shopping and healthcare drive travel demand
Pham Anh Vu, deputy chief executive of Viet Tourism Media JSC, said Cambodia remains one of the most stable and accessible international markets for travel companies in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to Vu, Cambodian visitors travel to Vietnam not only for leisure and sightseeing but also for shopping, visiting relatives, medical treatment and health check-ups.
“Cambodian travellers have diverse interests, ranging from beach holidays and urban exploration to shopping and healthcare services. They are also a high-return segment and often visit multiple times each year,” Vu said.
Many visitors extend their stay by two to three days after completing medical treatment in Ho Chi Minh City in order to rest and explore local attractions.
Travel companies reported that most Cambodian visitors enter Vietnam by road through border crossings such as Moc Bai and Tinh Bien because of affordable costs and convenient procedures. Higher-spending travellers are more likely to fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Danang.
Visitors spend up to VND 3 million a day
Cambodian tourists are generally considered receptive to Vietnamese cuisine, particularly seafood and street food.
Average spending ranges from VND 1 million to VND 3 million per day (approximately USD 38-115) for standard travel programmes, with higher expenditure among those combining tourism with medical services.
Vu attributed the recent surge in Cambodian arrivals to several factors, including reciprocal 30-day visa exemptions, competitive tourism and healthcare costs, close geographical proximity, a safe travel environment and the convenience of combining tourism, shopping and healthcare.
“If travel companies invest in overland tourism products, beach packages, city tours, shopping experiences and medical tourism services, Cambodia could become one of the most reliable and sustainable sources of tourism revenue for Vietnam in the coming years,” he said.
Phu Quoc is among the destinations most frequently chosen by Cambodian visitors to Vietnam (Illustrative photo: Anh Duong).
Improved connectivity boosts visitor growth
Tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia has produced positive results in recent years, supported by increasingly convenient transport links.
Direct flights operated by Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Cambodia Angkor Air connect Phnom Penh and Siem Reap with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, with flight times ranging from about one hour and 25 minutes to two hours.
High-quality coach services linking Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City have also become a popular option. Round-trip tickets typically cost between VND 500,000 and VND 650,000 (approximately USD 19-25) per passenger.
The Moc Bai International Border Gate in Tay Ninh Province and the Bavet crossing in Cambodia have further simplified travel between the two countries, with immigration procedures generally taking between 15 and 30 minutes.
In addition, mutual visa exemptions for ordinary passport holders have encouraged short trips and multi-destination itineraries.
Earlier, Khmer Times quoted travel operators in Phnom Penh as saying that Vietnam remains the most popular overseas destination among Cambodian travellers. A tourism expert with more than 20 years of experience described Vietnam and Thailand as the two most important foreign travel markets for Cambodian tourists.
