Hanoi (VNA) – Thousands of domestic and international tourists flocked to tourist attractions across Vietnam during the New Year holiday from January 1 to 4, fueling hopes for breakthroughs in the country’s travel industry in 2026.
Da Nang served are estimated of 630,000 holiday-makers this time, earning 2.44 trillion VND (over 92.8 million USD) in revenue, presenting respective surges of 25% and 30% year-on-year. Of these, international visitors were estimated at 345,000, up 23%, while domestic visitors reached around 285,000, up 29%.
Air transport activity recorded positive growth, with around 495 domestic flights and 413 international ones arriving in Da Nang in the period, up 24.5% compared to the same period in 2025, contributing to increasing the number of travelers to the coastal tourism hub during the holiday.
According to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, with a strategy centred on digital transformation and green economic development, and tapping its unique cultural values, Da Nang aims to become a leading hub for events and festivals in Asia. The city is focusing on boosting tourism, mobilising investment, and rapidly developing new products and services, targeting 19.1 million overnight visitors and nearly 70 trillion VND in revenue in 2026.
According to the plan of the People’s Committee of Cat Hai Special Zone in the northern port city of Hai Phong, the locality aims to attract 4.75 million tourists to Cat Ba in 2026. During the four-day holiday, Cat Ba welcomed 30,500 visitors, including 14,850 foreigners.
Artrid Reichert, a tourist from Paraguay, said that Cat Ba was the first destination she visited on her first trip to Vietnam. She stayed for three days, mainly exploring Lan Ha Bay and experiencing activities in Cat Ba National Park. She hoped that Cat Ba would continue to provide more guidance at tourist sites and on social media platforms, making it easier for visitors to find information and choose attractive destinations.
Nguyen Thanh Trung, Director of Aroma Vietnam Tourism Services and Trading Co., Ltd said that during the Lunar New Year holiday in particular, and the autumn-winter season in general, the number of visitors to Cat Ba have been increasing, especially after the Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago was recognised by UNESCO as Vietnam's first inter-provincial UNESCO-listed world heritage site.
To welcome and serve tourists more effectively, the company has added 5-star standard tour boats and strengthened staff training to improve service quality, Trung said.
According to Vu Huu Vung, Vice Chairman of the Cat Hai Special Zone People’s Committee, to achieve the target of welcoming over 4.7 million visitors, the local authority is stepping up promotion of Cat Ba tourism through diverse media channels. The locality is also coordinating with agencies and organisations to effectively communicate and preserve the values of the Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago.
In 2025, Cat Ba welcomed over 4.53 million visitors, reaching 113.4% of its target and up 23.4% compared to 2024.
Tourist sites in the northern province of Ninh Binh welcomed 723,000 visitors during the four-day holiday, including close to 178,000 international tourists, raking in nearly 800 billion VND.
Meanwhile, Thanh Hoa served about 125,000 travelers on the holiday, earning a total revenue of 184 billion VND. The Pu Luong Community Ecotourism Area in Pu Luong commune continued to demonstrate its appeal, welcoming nearly 32,000 visitors.
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tuyen Quang, which home to the UNESCO Global Geopark Dong Van Karst Plateau, the northern locality received around 138,200 visitors during the holiday, including 7,200 foreigners. The locality’s tourism revenue totaled an estimated 350 billion VND./.
