INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS TO VIETNAM DOWN IN FEBRUARY

Foreign visitors pass stalls displaying artwork at a street in HCMC - PHOTO: NGUYEN PHONG

HCMC – International arrivals to Vietnam reached more than 2.2 million in February 2026, down from 2.45 million in January, according to the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.

Despite the decline, February marked the third consecutive month with more than two million international visitors, following 2.02 million arrivals in December 2025.

Visitors from Asia remained the largest source, accounting for about 3.4 million arrivals, or 73% of total international visitors to Vietnam in the first two months of the year.

South Korea was the biggest market, with around 971,000 visitors, up nearly 10% from a year earlier. The increase was linked to demand for beach tourism, golf travel and family trips, along with extensive air connections between the two countries.

China ranked second, sending about 923,000 visitors. The two Northeast Asian markets continued to account for a large share of international arrivals.

Other Northeast Asian markets, including Japan and Taiwan (China), also recorded steady growth.

Several Southeast Asian markets posted double-digit increases compared with the same period last year. Arrivals from the Philippines rose 72%, Singapore 35%, Indonesia 27%, and Malaysia 16.5%.

Visitors from Cambodia increased 95.1%, reflecting tourism cooperation within ASEAN and convenient transport connections, according to the National Statistics Office.

Among emerging markets, India recorded about 158,000 visitors in the first two months, up more than 71% year-on-year. The growth was linked to new direct flights, tourism promotion activities and rising outbound travel demand from India’s middle class.

From Europe, Vietnam welcomed about 847,000 visitors, up 67.4% from a year earlier. Major markets such as the United Kingdom, France and Germany reported growth.

Russia remained the largest European source market, with about 247,000 visitors, an increase of more than 212%.

Arrivals from the Americas totaled 278,000. The United States remained among the 10 largest source markets, with around 210,000 visitors, up 16.3%, while Canada recorded about 50,000 visitors, up 22.9%.

From Oceania, Vietnam received about 130,000 visitors, a 15% increase, with Australia the main source market in the region.

Source: The Saigon Times