Welcoming ceremonies were held simultaneously at airports, including Dien Bien and Vinh in Nghe An Province; Phu Bai in Hue City; Chu Lai, Da Nang, and Phu Cat in Gia Lai Province; and Tan Son Nhat and Con Dao in Ho Chi Minh City.
At the arrivals halls, passengers were greeted with flowers and commemorative gifts. The welcome events involved participation from airline representatives, flight crews, and local authorities.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Airlines welcomed the first international passengers of the year aboard flight VN30 from Frankfurt, Germany, upon its arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
In the Central region, the airline coordinated with local authorities to greet arriving passengers as part of New Year celebrations in cities including Da Nang, Hue, Lam Dong, and Gia Lai.
In the early hours of January 1, the first international passengers from South Korea officially arrived at Phu Quoc International Airport in An Giang Province, marking the start of a promising tourism year for the “Pearl Island.”
Flight 7C2355 from Busan, South Korea, landed at Phu Quoc International Airport in the early hours of January 1, 2026. At the arrival hall, representatives of the airport extended a warm welcome and conveyed their best New Year wishes to the first passengers of the year.
Notably, the first arrivals also received gift vouchers for recreational and entertainment experiences at Sunset Town, valued at up to VND1 million per passenger.
One of the early passengers, Kim Min-soo from South Korea, expressed her excitement. She said that this is her first time visiting Phu Quoc. She was pleasantly surprised to receive New Year greetings and gifts as soon as she stepped off the plane. The Korean visitor felt happy and very excited about her first trip of the year.
The event on receiving first arrivals took place against the backdrop of a remarkable year of growth for Phu Quoc. In the past year, the island welcomed an estimated 8.1 million visitors, including nearly 2 million international travelers, generating record revenue of approximately VND44 trillion (US$1.7 billion), presenting an increase of over 100 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. On average, around 100 flights arrive on the island daily, with nearly half being international services.
Corresponding with this growth, passenger traffic through Phu Quoc International Airport increased by 44 percent compared to the same period last year and is projected to reach around 8 million travelers in 2026.
