Want to be in the loop?
subscribe to
our notification
Business News
VIETNAM’S Q1 FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS HIT RECORD HIGH
Foreign tourists walk along Nguyen Van Binh Book Street in HCMC - PHOTO: NGUYEN PHONG
• HCMC launches tourism stimulus program for summer season
• HCMC Tourism Festival 2026 opens, targets summer travel demand
HCMC – Vietnam welcomed nearly 2.1 million international visitors in March, bringing first quarter foreign tourist arrivals to 6.76 million, up 12.4% year-on-year and marking a record high for the period, the national authority for tourism said.
Air travel accounted for 82.3% of international arrivals, followed by land at 15.5% and sea at 2.2%, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.
Despite tensions in the Middle East pushing up fuel prices and disrupting some international routes, air arrivals remained strong, reflecting Vietnam’s connectivity and appeal to international travelers.
Meanwhile, land arrivals highlighted the continued importance of neighboring markets such as China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, whose proximity, lower travel costs and faster recovery have helped support overall growth.
China and South Korea remained Vietnam’s top source markets in the first quarter of this year, with 1.4 million and 1.3 million visitors respectively, making up about 40% of total arrivals.
In Southeast Asia, several markets recorded strong growth, including Malaysia up 21.5%, Singapore up 30.2%, Cambodia up 41.1%, Indonesia up 43.9% and the Philippines up 69.3%, while Thailand rose 6.5%. In South Asia, India also posted a 69.3% increase.
European markets grew by about 55.6% overall. In March alone, arrivals from Europe still rose from a year earlier despite disruptions to some international routes.
Several markets posted gains, including Canada up 24.2%, New Zealand up 19.4%, Poland up 19.2%, Switzerland up 18.9%, Australia up 18.4%, the United States up 17%, Denmark up 13.9%, Germany up 15.2% and Norway up 12%, while Russia surged 163.4%.
The tourism authority said expanded visa exemptions, longer stays, more entry points for e-visa holders and increased international flight frequencies helped drive growth in the first quarter.
Source: The Saigon Times
Related News
INFRASTRUCTURE / CONSTRUCTION / LOGISTIC / PORT
VIETNAM EXPANDS INLAND CONTAINER DEPOT NETWORK TO 19
The two newly added ICDs are Cai Mep in HCMC and Tan Cang-Moc Bai (phase one) in Tay Ninh Province. Cai Mep ICD, located in Cai Mep Industrial Park in Tan Phuoc Ward, HCMC and developed by Cai Mep International Logistics JSC, covers 9.15 hectares and has an annual handling capacity of about 133,000 TEUs, according to the Government news site (baochinhphu.vn).
BANKING / FINANCE / INSURANCE / TAX
HCMC CREDIT UP 1.5% IN Q1
Outstanding loans in the city reached an estimated VND5.28 quadrillion, up 0.77% from the previous month and 16.25% year-on-year, data from the State Bank of Vietnam’s Regional Branch 2 showed. Vietnam dong loans accounted for 96.1% of total credit and rose 1.46% from the end of 2025. Medium- and long-term lending made up 55% of total outstanding loans and increased 3.22%.
VIETNAM ECONOMY INVESTMENT
HCMC TO ESTABLISH CULTURAL INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT FUND
The HCMC People’s Committee has tasked relevant departments with establishing a cultural industry development fund and developing a 150-hectare film studio complex. The move follows an instruction by HCMC Party Committee Secretary Tran Luu Quang. The city’s cultural industry development fund will be structured under a venture capital model.
HR / LABOUR/ EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYEES’ AVERAGE INCOME INCREASES
Average monthly income of workers in the first quarter reached VND9 million, up 3.8% from the previous quarter and 8.5% from a year earlier, according to the National Statistics Office. Male workers earned an average of VND10.1 million per month, compared with VND7.7 million for female workers. In urban areas, average income reached VND10.7 million per month, while in rural areas it was VND7.9 million.
VIETNAM ECONOMY INVESTMENT
VIETNAM KEEPS GROWTH TARGET AT 10% OR HIGHER AMID GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES
Vietnam keeps its economic growth target unchanged at 10% or above despite rising global uncertainties and domestic challenges, according to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Chinh made the remarks while chairing the Government’s regular monthly meeting for March, held alongside an online conference with local authorities to review socio-economic performance in the first quarter of 2026 and outline priorities for the coming months.
INFRASTRUCTURE / CONSTRUCTION / LOGISTIC / PORT
HOANH MO BORDER TRADE SURGES 61% IN Q1
According to the Hoanh Mo Border Gate Customs, 1,088 customs declarations were processed between January 1 and March 29, up 76.34% from the same period last year. In the year to the end of the first quarter, 82 businesses had carried out customs procedures at the border gate, including 46 newly registered businesses.
Events Sponsors
