Data from the General Statistics Office showed that international arrivals reached 15.9 million between January and August, up 14.4 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Of the total, 13.2 million visitors arrived by air, accounting for 83.1 per cent of all international arrivals and marking an 11.6 per cent increase year-on-year.
A Chinese tourist takes photographs in a coconut forest in the Mekong Delta region (Photo: DY).
The sustained growth has been attributed to stable security conditions, favourable visa policies, stronger tourism promotion efforts, a wider range of tourism products, and Vietnam’s appeal as a destination offering natural beauty, cultural heritage, diverse cuisine and affordable travel costs.
In August alone, Vietnam received 1.99 million international visitors, up 19.7 per cent from July and 18.4 per cent compared with the same month last year, indicating accelerating growth ahead of the peak tourism season.
China remained Vietnam’s largest source market, with more than 457,400 arrivals in August, up 10 per cent year-on-year. During the first eight months, Chinese visitors totalled 3.54 million, a modest increase of 0.3 per cent from the same period in 2025.
South Korea ranked second among Vietnam’s international source markets. More than 372,000 South Korean visitors arrived in August, although growth declined by around 4 per cent compared with a year earlier.
Southeast Asia contributed more than 284,400 visitors in August, an increase of 29.8 per cent year-on-year. In the first eight months, Vietnam welcomed 2.46 million visitors from ASEAN countries.
Cambodia was the largest Southeast Asian source market, with 63,690 arrivals in August, up 47.4 per cent from the same period last year. The country ranked as Vietnam’s sixth-largest international tourism market.
A foreign family poses with lanterns in Hoi An ancient town (Photo: Binh An).
Europe recorded the strongest regional growth. Vietnam welcomed 329,400 European visitors in August, up 53.3 per cent year-on-year. For the first eight months, arrivals from Europe exceeded 2.67 million, representing growth of 53.4 per cent.
Russia stood out as the fastest-growing and largest European source market. Russian arrivals rose by 123 per cent in August and by 165 per cent during the January-August period compared with the same timeframe last year.
The strong recovery of the Russian market has become the main driver behind Europe’s rapid growth, contributing significantly to Vietnam’s record-breaking international tourism performance in 2026.