Following the positive momentum from the Gregorian New Year, the tourism market during this year's Lunar New Year holiday has seen significant shifts in depth, rather than just rapid growth in numbers. Tourists tend to carefully consider the value of the experience, viewing each trip as a spiritual gift to recharge after a year of work. Despite the challenging economic context, demand for tourism in the mid- and high-end segments remains very promising, with projected growth of approximately 15 to 20% compared to the same period last year.
Tourists visiting Hanoi during the New Year holiday in 2026. (Photo: VNA)
Surveys conducted by major travel agencies such as Vietluxtour and VietSense Travel reveal a clear differentiation in customer sentiment. Families and middle-aged travelers tend to book tours 2 to 3 months in advance to secure good hotel accommodations and ensure stable itineraries, especially for trips to Europe, Australia, or Japan.
Conversely, tours to Southeast Asia, such as Thailand and Singapore, tend to be booked closer to the departure date to allow for financial flexibility and business holiday schedules. In the domestic market, tours experiencing the "golden season" in the Northeast and Northwest regions, such as Sa Pa, Moc Chau, and Dien Bien, or destinations near Hanoi like Cat Ba, Ha Long, and Ninh Binh, maintain strong appeal. In particular, Phu Quoc has become an attractive highlight thanks to new flight routes with reasonable costs, meeting the needs of both domestic and international tourists during the early days of the new year.
As the tourism hub of the country, Hanoi is placing high expectations on the Lunar New Year holiday of the Year of the Horse after setting a record of welcoming over 560,000 visitors during the recent New Year's Day holiday, double the number compared to the same period in 2025.
Ms. Dang Huong Giang, Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, expressed her expectations: "Based on the results of welcoming approximately 1 million visitors during the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake in 2025, we believe that Hanoi will continue to affirm its position as a leading attractive destination in the country and can achieve even higher growth during the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Horse in 2026."
Hanoi expects to welcome over 1 million visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday of the Year of the Horse 2026. (Photo: VNA)
As the tourism hub of the country, Hanoi is preparing all resources to welcome a record number of visitors during the 9-day Tet holiday. The most important highlight on New Year's Eve will be the spectacular fireworks display at 31 locations across the city, creating an atmosphere of excitement for a new year full of hope.
Beyond superficial entertainment activities, Hanoi's cultural space this time is receiving significant investment in content. At the Heritage House at 87 Ma May Street, visitors can immerse themselves in the traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations of old Hanoi, while the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake continue to host exhibitions of handicrafts and art with the theme "Spring Colors of the Year of the Horse". Spiritual and heritage destinations such as the Temple of Literature - National University with its Spring Calligraphy Festival, or the Hoa Lo Prison and Thang Long Imperial Citadel are also ready to welcome visitors with special programs.
Hanoi offers many places for locals and tourists to visit and explore during this Tet holiday. (Photo: VNA)
2026 marks a new milestone for tourism in the capital city as technology is cleverly integrated into heritage values. The Thang Long Imperial Citadel heritage site introduces the "Memories of the Flagpole" tour, featuring a digital experience space and impressive 3D mapping technology demonstrations. In the districts and communes, proactive innovation is also evident through unique products such as the "Hanoi - Touching the Land of Memories" tour associated with Truc Bach Lake, or the "Hanoi Beautiful Sound" night cycling tour.
"Hanoi Beautiful Sound" night cycling tour. Photo: Hanoi Department of Tourism.
Even in the suburban areas, the renovation work at Huong Son scenic area has been completed with the launch of four new experiential routes, allowing visitors to explore early before the official festival date. This blend of tradition and modernity not only helps extend the length of stay but also significantly increases the spending of tourists visiting Hanoi.
According to the Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, Dang Huong Giang, the city's tourism industry not only aims for short-term growth but also targets longer-term goals in 2026, with the expectation of welcoming 36 million visitors, including 8.6 million international tourists.
DIRECTOR OF HANOI TOURISM DEPARTMENT - MS. DANG HUONG GIANG
"It can be affirmed that tourism activities in 2026 will both inherit the positive results of 2025 and have strong innovations in organizational thinking, implementation space, and experiential content, clearly demonstrating the orientation of developing Hanoi's tourism towards a green, sustainable, distinctive, professional, and modern direction."
Right from the beginning of the year, the Hanoi tourism program welcoming 2026 with the theme "Green Journey" on Trinh Cong Son Street and the "Happy Tet 2026" festival at Thang Long Imperial Citadel will be important catalysts for promoting the image of the capital city.
The city is also focusing on implementing major planning projects, prioritizing infrastructure for key areas such as Ba Vi, West Lake, and developing waterway tourism along the Red River. The application of a smart tourism ecosystem linked to digital transformation and improving the quality of human resources is identified as key to Hanoi maintaining its position as a safe, friendly, and high-quality destination.
To ensure the best experience for tourists during the peak Tet holiday season, the Department of Tourism has requested travel agencies, accommodations, and destinations to strictly review service quality and implement traffic management plans to avoid localized overcrowding. Hotels in the area have also proactively designed many attractive holiday packages with special cuisine and unique decorations to attract guests to check in.
With thorough and coordinated preparation from the government to businesses, Hanoi's tourism in the year of the Horse 2026 promises to start with impressive figures, affirming its brand as a green and sustainable destination in the new era of the country.
Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/ha-noi-du-bao-but-pha-ky-luc-khach-du-lich-trong-ky-nghi-vang-tet-binh-ngo-2026-20260121144343187.htm
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