China no longer Vietnam's biggest source of tourists

By Hoang Vu February 6, 2026 | 09:20 pm PT

Chinese tourists pose in front of the Central Post Office in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

South Korea overtook mainland China to become Vietnam's largest source of market in January with nearly 490,000 visitors, up 17% year-on-year.

China, once the biggest source of visitors to Vietnam last year, was next with 459,000 arrivals, down 20.1% year-on-year, data released Tuesday by the General Statistics Office shows.

According to analysts, socio-economic changes are contributing to this downward trend. Amid slowing economic growth, Chinese consumers are tightening their spending, the South China Morning Post reported.

In addition, some other Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines have been strong competitors by waiving visas for Chinese tourists.

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Vietnam in 2025 rose 41% year-on-year to 5.2 million.

Overall, Vietnam received 2.5 million foreign visitors in January, its highest monthly number ever, thanks to relaxed visa policies and increased tourism campaigns.