Foreign arrivals reach record high in Jan-May period

Air travel remained the dominant gateway for international visitors, accounting for 8.7 million arrivals, or 82.3 per cent of the total figure, up 11 per cent year-on-year. 

Arrivals by road reached 1.7 million, up 40.8 per cent, while sea arrivals rose 15.4 per cent to more than 202,000 visitors.

Although May marks the beginning of the seasonal low period for international tourism, Viet Nam still welcomed nearly 1.8 million foreign visitors—a new record for May, showing the country's strong appeal and its ability to sustain growth momentum.

The 10 largest source of visitors during the reviewed period were mainland China, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, Cambodia, the U.S., India, Japan, the Philippines and Australia.

Southeast Asia remained a key growth engine for inbound travel, with the Philippines posting the strongest increase in the region, surging 71.9 percent and climbing to ninth place among the top source markets.

Other markets in the region also recorded solid gains, including Cambodia at 40.2 percent, Indonesia at 28.7 percent, Singapore at 28.5 percent, and Malaysia at 21 percent.

India continued to lead growth in South Asia, rising 50.4 percent, underscoring its strong long-term potential.

Europe posted the strongest regional performance, expanding 54.8 percent in the first five months of this year, driven largely by Russia, which recorded a 194-percent surge, or the highest growth rate among all international markets.

Viet Nam's tourism industry aims to welcome 25 million international visitors and 150 million domestic travelers in 2026, with total tourism revenue projected at around VND1.1 quadrillion (US$42 billion)./.