Of the total, about 10.1 million visitors arrived by air, accounting for more than 82 percent of all international arrivals and up 11.4 percent from the same period last year. Arrivals by land reached an estimated 1.9 million, surging 37.5 percent, while the remainder entered by sea.
In June, the country welcomed approximately 1.68 million international visitors, down 5.7 percent from May as inbound tourism entered its seasonal lull. However, the figure was still 14.7 percent higher than in June 2025.
Authorities attributed the growth to more favorable visa policies, stronger tourism promotion efforts, a broader range of tourism products and continued expansion into international source markets.
The rise in visitor arrivals also boosted tourism-related services. Revenue from accommodation and food services was estimated at VND493 trillion (about US$18.8 billion) in the first six months, up 15.6 percent year-on-year.
Strong growth was recorded in destinations including Da Nang, Quang Ninh, Khanh Hoa, Hue, Thanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
Revenue from travel services reached an estimated VND49.8 trillion (US$1.9 billion), an increase of 15 percent from a year earlier. Khanh Hoa posted the strongest growth at 32.2 percent, followed by Hue, Quang Ninh, Quang Ngai, Hai Phong, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Meanwhile, the number of Vietnamese traveling abroad totaled 2.7 million in the first half of 2026, down nearly 40 percent from the same period last year.
