Vietnam’s tourism sector recorded a monthly record for international arrivals in January, welcoming nearly 2.5 million visitors, official data showed, signalling strong momentum at the start of 2026.

International arrivals rose 21.4 month-on-month and 18.5% year-on-year, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported, citing data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).

Asian visitors accounted for more than 73% of arrivals, or about 1.8 million.

Korea remained the largest source market, with nearly 490,000 visitors, up about 26% month-on-month and over 17 % year-on-year.

Japan posted gains of 41% from the previous month and nearly 17% from a year earlier, while China remained the second-largest market with close to 460,000 arrivals, despite a year-on-year decline.

Southeast Asia posted strong momentum, with arrivals from the Philippines up 75%, Singapore 51.7%, Indonesia 41.4% and Thailand 10.6%.

Notably, arrivals from Cambodia surged to more than three times the previous month and over double the same period last year.

Notably, India emerged as a standout potential market, growing 80.5% year-on-year to nearly 88,000 visitors, highlighting Vietnam’s success in diversifying source markets.

Meanwhile, Europe became a bright spot, welcoming around 424,000 visitors, up over 35% month-on-month and nearly 60% year-on-year.

Major markets such as Russia, the UK, France and Germany all recorded double-digit growth, with Russia surging 195.1% and Poland 98.7%.