Vietnam received 19.5 million international visitors in the first 10 months of 2026, up 13.8% from a year earlier, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism said last week, as a surge in Russian and European travelers more than made up for softer demand from South Korea.

The figures matter for hotel owners, airlines and airport operators across Southeast Asia because Vietnam has become one of the region's fastest-growing destinations. Its growth is also shifting toward long-haul visitors, who tend to stay longer and spend more per trip than short-haul tourists from neighboring countries.

The 10-month total equals about 78% of the government's full-year goal of 25 million foreign arrivals. To reach it, Vietnam needs roughly 5.5 million visitors in November and December combined, a pace of about 2.75 million a month. The tourism authority acknowledged that closing the gap will take considerable effort, according to Viet Nam News.

Russia and Europe drive the gains

Europe added about 1.09 million visitors from a year earlier, the biggest increase of any region, according to the tourism authority's breakdown reported by Vietnam Investment Review. European arrivals rose 51.5% to 3.22 million, lifting the continent's share of the total to 16.5%.

Russia stood out. Arrivals from the country rose 150% to 1.25 million, making it Vietnam's third-largest source market, behind only China and South Korea. Poland rose 45.8%, Switzerland 23.1%, the Czech Republic 21.9% and Sweden 21.4%.

The tourism authority said the wider and more effective use of long-haul markets was “creating an important new source of growth,” Vietnam Investment Review reported.

Other distant markets also grew. Arrivals from the Americas rose 18.1% to 1.04 million, with the United States contributing 808,700 visitors. Oceania climbed 21.5% to 602,700, including 543,000 from Australia, up 21.3%, and growth of 22.9% from New Zealand.

Korea slips while Asia slows

Asia remains the backbone of Vietnam's tourism, with 14.6 million visitors, or nearly three-quarters of the total. But growth from the region slowed to 7.3%, adding about 992,000 arrivals, less than Europe's gain despite Asia's far larger base.

China was the largest single market, with nearly 4.4 million arrivals. South Korea came second at 3.4 million, but that figure was down 6.3% from a year earlier. The Vietnam News Agency said the drop pointed to the need for further policy measures, without giving reasons for it.

Taiwan sent 1.07 million visitors, Japan 757,500 and India 744,600. Several closer neighbors grew quickly: Cambodia rose 43.2% to 787,100, the Philippines 52.4% to 579,200, Singapore 28.9% and Indonesia 27.1%.

Pace eases after the summer

The latest month was softer than the summer peak. Arrivals in the first nine months totaled about 17.7 million, up 14.5%, according to an earlier release from the National Statistics Office and the tourism authority reported by Viet Nam News. That implies roughly 1.8 million arrivals in October alone, by Capital Times' calculation from the two cumulative totals, and year-to-date growth edged down from 14.5% to 13.8%.

September arrivals were about 1.77 million, down 11.3% from August but up 16.1% from a year earlier, the earlier report said.

Vietnam's tourism push comes as neighboring destinations report weaker numbers. Thailand, the region's biggest tourism market, has reported a year-on-year decline in foreign arrivals for the first 10 months of the year.

Vietnam also rose seven places to 52nd of 110 economies in the World Economic Forum's 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index, Viet Nam News reported in October. It ranked seventh for price competitiveness but scored lower on tourism infrastructure and environmental sustainability, areas that matter more as visitor numbers climb.

The next test is the year-end peak. November and December figures, due in early December and early January, will show whether Vietnam can lift monthly arrivals by about half from October's level to reach 25 million.