With 14 million tourists visiting during the spring festival, many localities are raking in the money.
The Lunar New Year holiday of the Year of the Horse has just ended, and localities are announcing better-than-expected results in attracting tourists . For example, Da Nang is estimated to have welcomed over 1.1 million visitors in the first nine days of the year, including over half a million international tourists, making it the locality with the highest number of international visitors. The high number of visitors led to total tourism revenue reaching approximately 3,960 billion VND, a 34% increase compared to the same period last year, with an average spending of about 3.6 million VND per visitor. According to the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a series of new events and products, along with favorable weather, contributed to a 32% increase in visitor numbers compared to last year's Lunar New Year.
Foreign tourists eagerly anticipate celebrating Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) in Ho Chi Minh City.
PHOTO: NHAT THINH
However, the two largest cities in the country led in attracting tourists and generating revenue during the Tet holiday. Ho Chi Minh City topped the nation with 12,150 billion VND in revenue over the 9-day holiday period, serving approximately 4.3 million visitors. International visitors also increased sharply, reaching 170,000, with an average spending of over 2.8 million VND per visitor and an occupancy rate of around 75%. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the prominent trend was urban tourism, experiencing the Tet atmosphere and cultural activities within the city. Domestic tourists mainly visited relatives combined with short trips; international tourists saw a strong increase in the sightseeing, culinary , and cultural experience segments.
Hanoi ranked second in revenue with 4,870 billion VND, welcoming 1.34 million visitors. Historical sites and scenic spots remained open throughout the Tet holiday, with increased interactive activities and cultural performances. Leaders of the Hanoi Department of Tourism assessed that the scale of spring celebration activities had expanded, focusing on in-depth experiences rather than just sightseeing.
People eagerly started traveling right from the beginning of the Year of the Horse 2026.
PHOTO: NA
Other localities with revenues exceeding 1 trillion VND include Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Lao Cai, An Giang, Khanh Hoa, Hue, and Lam Dong. Can Tho and Quang Ngai recorded high growth, with revenues of approximately 600 billion VND each, welcoming 590,000 - 750,000 visitors respectively, an increase of 23 - 35%. Thanh Hoa and Nghe An saw slight increases of 5 - 6%, reaching approximately 600 billion and 505 billion VND respectively, due to the influence of cold weather.
Phu Quoc (An Giang) continued to be a focal point for international tourists during this year's Tet holiday. Over the nine days, the special administrative region welcomed nearly 366,000 visitors, an increase of almost 30%, including approximately 93,000 international tourists, a 24.3% increase. During the peak Tet period alone, Phu Quoc served nearly 170,000 visitors, with over 51,000 being international tourists, generating revenue exceeding 1.29 trillion VND. More than 80 flights landing on the island each day demonstrate the strong appeal of this island destination, combining festivals, entertainment, and nighttime tourism products.
Nationwide, the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday of the Year of the Horse (2016) attracted approximately 14 million visitors, a 12% increase compared to 2015. It's clear that Tet has become an effective product for attracting tourists, bringing high economic value to localities. This is why investment in the Lunar New Year holiday in particular, and major holidays throughout the year in general, is increasingly emphasized.
Phu Quoc becomes a focal point for international tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday.
PHOTO: BTC
International visitors are continuously setting records.
In fact, tourism accelerated right from the start of 2026. Specifically, in January alone, Vietnam welcomed nearly 2.5 million international visitors, the highest number ever recorded in a single month, a sharp increase compared to the same period and accounting for about 10% of the year's target.
The Asian region continues to be the mainstay with approximately 1.8 million visitors, accounting for over 73% of the total number of visitors to Vietnam. South Korea leads with nearly 490,000 visitors, a 26% increase compared to the previous month and over 17% compared to the same period last year. Japan saw a 41% increase compared to the previous month and a 16.9% increase compared to the same period last year, indicating a recovery in the high-spending segment. China reached nearly 460,000 visitors, ranking second in terms of market size. Within Southeast Asia, many markets experienced strong growth, such as the Philippines (up 75%), Singapore (up 51.7%), Indonesia (up 41.4%), and Thailand (up 10.6%). Cambodia more than doubled compared to the same period last year. These figures reflect the effectiveness of intra-ASEAN cooperation and the advantages of air connectivity.
Can Gio will hold its first spring festival throughout the Lunar New Year holiday.
PHOTO: NA
Assessing the tourism outlook for the 2026 Lunar New Year, Mr. Nguyen Minh Man, Deputy General Director of VinaGroup Tourism Company, believes that anticipating the wave of tourists in the 2025-2026 period is the right move. "The quality of growth in the current context can be considered quite optimistic as many favorable conditions are converging," he said, citing strong investment in transportation infrastructure, public investment projects focusing on tourism connectivity, and a more open and modern development mindset of local authorities, closer to global tourism practices. Therefore, Vietnam's image becomes more approachable and attractive in the eyes of tourists.
Mr. Tran Tuong Huy, Deputy Director of the Institute for Tourism and Social Research, analyzed the results of attracting international tourists in January as a very positive sign because the number of tourists usually increases sharply during the peak winter holiday season of the Western market and major holidays throughout the year. "The impressive figures at the beginning of the year not only show a recovery in scale but also demonstrate the inherent strength and breakthrough potential of the industry. Vietnamese tourism is shifting from a recovery phase to a new growth cycle with higher ambitions," Mr. Huy said.
A bustling scene on the summit of Ba Den Mountain (Tay Ninh) in the early days of the Lunar New Year.
PHOTO: BTC
Data from the travel platform Trip.com shows that the number of international visitors to Vietnam during the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Horse increased by about 60% compared to last year, not only from traditional Asian markets but also from Europe and North America such as Spain, Russia, Türkiye, and Canada. According to tourism experts, with this positive start, the tourism industry is in a position to accelerate and aim for higher targets in terms of both the number of international visitors and added value.
In 2026, Vietnam's tourism sector aims to welcome 25 million international visitors, meaning it needs to maintain an average growth rate of approximately 13.6% compared to 2025. Meanwhile, January alone saw an 18.5% increase year-on-year. According to Mr. Tran Tuong Huy, with this momentum, the goal is entirely achievable if the growth rate remains stable. However, Mr. Huy also noted that Southeast Asian countries are setting high targets for tourism in 2026, therefore Vietnam needs a flexible and long-term national competitiveness strategy. "Close coordination between government policies, the dynamism of businesses, and the unity of the community will be key to Vietnam's tourism not only recovering but truly taking off in this new phase," Mr. Huy stated.
Give guests compelling reasons to stay longer.
The era of monotonous tourism products is over. The core demand now is discovery and experiencing new value. Therefore, businesses are forced to invest more systematically in market research, product design, and enhancing professionalism. To encourage longer stays, businesses must give guests compelling reasons to stay. To encourage more spending, businesses must understand their needs and invest in experiences they are willing to pay for.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Man, Deputy General Director of VinaGroup Tourism Company
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dua-tet-thanh-san-pham-du-lich-ti-usd-185260223174141601.htm
Comment (0)