Vietnam received 1.78 million international visitors in May, up 16.5 per cent from the same month last year, extending the robust growth recorded since the start of 2026.
Chinese tourists favour trips to Phu Quoc and Nha Trang. (Photo: DY).
For the first five months of the year, international arrivals reached 10.6 million, an increase of 14.9 per cent year-on-year, according to tourism industry data.
The figure represents the highest number of international visitors ever recorded during the January-May period. With a target of welcoming 25 million foreign visitors this year, the tourism sector has already achieved 42 per cent of its annual goal.
The strong performance has been attributed to Vietnam's stable political and social environment, improving safety, increasingly open visa policies and more professional tourism promotion campaigns. A diversified tourism product offering and continued improvements in service quality have also helped strengthen the country's appeal to international travellers.
China remained Vietnam's largest source market in May, with more than 443,705 arrivals, although the figure was slightly lower than in the previous month. South Korea ranked second with 277,919 visitors, followed by Russia with 113,462 arrivals.
During the first five months of the year, the top 10 international source markets for Vietnam were China, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan (China), Cambodia, the United States, India, Japan, the Philippines and Australia.
Within Asia, the Philippines continued to emerge as one of the fastest-growing markets. Visitor arrivals from the country reached 301,673 during the January-May period, up 71.9 per cent from a year earlier.
The increase has been supported by expanding air links connecting Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City with major Philippine cities including Manila and Cebu, creating more opportunities for two-way tourism.
Other Southeast Asian markets also recorded growth. Visitor numbers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand all increased during the first five months of the year.
Cambodia posted one of the strongest performances, with arrivals to Vietnam rising 40.2 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Travel companies said the growth in Southeast Asian visitors reflected a broader trend of consumers choosing nearby destinations to reduce travel costs, particularly airfares.
In South Asia, India maintained strong momentum as a source market. During the first five months of 2026, Vietnam welcomed 408,463 Indian visitors, representing growth of more than 50 per cent year-on-year.
