Vietnam Airlines joins China Eastern, China Southern & Korean Air to Lead Explosive Aviation Surge After ACV’s Shanghai Summit — China, Korea, India, US, Japan & Australia Tourists Flood Vietnam Like Never Before

Image generated with Ai

Vietnam Airlines, alongside China Eastern, China Southern, and Korean Air, is amplifying the tourism surge in Vietnam with the support of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and its strategic China Tourism Summit in Shanghai. This multi-national effort is focused on expanding bilateral relations and air services, with the intent of promoting Vietnam as one of the world’s leading travel destinations. Preliminary statistics from 2026 show overwhelming supportive growth from various nations, such as China, South Korea, India, the US, Japan, and Australia, and suggest record numbers of tourists to Vietnam are on the way. The integrated strategy of the three nations’ carriers will be a powerful stimulus to the combined airline, tourism, and hospitality services sectors, and will enhance customer access to the many diverse cultural and leisure destinations in Vietnam.

Historic Increase in International Travellers is Transforming Vietnam’s Travel Narrative

Vietnam achieved a new milestone for its tourism industry in 2025 with an impressive total of 21.2 million international travellers, 20.4% more than the count for 2024, making it the most popular year in Vietnam tourism. This figure exceeded the international traveller count prior to the pandemic. This is a strong indicator of the renewed interest in Vietnamese destinations across the world. Air travel comprised approximately 84.3% of the total count, making air travel partnerships and air connectivity a crucial factor in the increase of inbound travel. Leading the list of countries was China with total arrivals of more than 5.2 million, followed by South Korea with approximately 4.3 million. Other major contributors included the United States (849,000), Japan (814,000), India (746,000), Russia (690,000), Cambodia (687,000), Malaysia (574,000) and Australia (548,000). China and Japan were both among the top markets with a strong year-on-year increase of over 40% and 14% respectively, and India saw an increase of nearly 50%. These results seem to indicate the interest in Vietnam tourism is widespread and geographically recovering rapidly.

Results from a recent report of 2026 show the country is still experiencing an upward trend. Estimates say that in the first 4 months of the year, 8.79 million international travellers have come to Vietnam, a 14.6% increase from the previous year, with the majority of this growth occurring in the air travel sector. Travel from the Asian markets, especially India, is sharply increasing, and the traditional markets are also staying relevant.

Aviation is Driving the Growth: New Market Access, More Travel Opportunities and Higher Levels of Connectivity

Significant enhancements in capacity, and greater flexibility in travel options and services are some of the most important features of this rapid tourism growth.

• Vietnam Airlines is strategically putting itself in the focus of the new Asia-Pacific travel market and expanding routes and providing direct services to China, South Korea, Japan, India and Australia.
• China Eastern and China Southern have begun to capitalize on renewed frameworks of cooperation, using ACV’s engagement in Shanghai to facilitate more connections between major cities in China and cities in Vietnam.
• Korean Air and other airlines are beginning to offer more:
• Service to both existing airports in Hanoi and the new Long Thanh International Airport.
• The addition of new Korean airlines and flights positions Vietnam as a new key destination in Korean outbound travel.
• Competition by budget and new players, especially Vietjet and the new Sun PhuQuoc Airways, will also challenge the legacy carriers. The demand by new airlines will help fill itinerary gaps in Vietnam and grow travel demand.

New plans are going into action, especially outside of Vietnam, to help manage capturing international travel demand to Vietnam.

Why the 2026 Travel Season Will Be Amazing

China is the Influential Power and the Main Source

China will continue to be one of the main source markets to Vietnam for International travel. More than 5.2 Million Chinese Nationals will travel to Vietnam in 2025. They will account for 1 in 4 visitors to the country. The Chinese have an interest in tourism and business travel. The Chinese airlines will offer more travel options.

South Korea and Growing Travel Interest

South Koreans have one of the higher travel rates to Vietnam. They typically show high levels of interest and spend an increased amount when they travel. Even though there are outbound travel restrictions, South Korea remains one of the countries with more travel options including expanded flights from Korean Air.

India: Fastest‑Growing Source Market in South Asia

India posted a total visitor growth of over 40% in 2025 with positive signs for early 2026. India is expected to be one of the most important tourism markets for Vietnam, thanks to better air connections and the enhancement of the visa system and marketing coordination.

US, Japan, and Australia: Increasing Long‑Haul Potential

The United States (849,000) and Japan (814,000) provide high‑spending long distance visitors, driving demand for high quality hospitality, tours, and high end travel. Although Australia and other long distance markets have low visitor numbers, they have a high economic impact per visitor.

General Benefits to the Industry

The direct benefits of the tourism resurgence have gone to Hotels and Service Providers:

• Evidence of increased hotel occupancies in major markets such as Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi, Da Nang and in the beach resorts.
• revenues from accommodation and food services increased by more than 14% in 2025.
• revenues from travel services increased by over 20% and continue to grow year on year. These figures show that the Vietnam tourism surge has economic benefits that extend beyond airlines.

Increased bookings, especially from short and long haul markets, have been recorded by transport services and attractions.

Travelers Booking Advice

With the great demand for travel and increased connections, smart planning is essential:

• Always verify flight status: With more flight options available, check schedules and confirmations directly with the airline.
• Know the visa rules: With a combination of visa exemptions, e-visas and traditional visas, what are the rules to ensure easy entry to Vietnam?
• Plan Ahead: Book flights and accommodations as far in advance as possible. Certain times of the year such as holidays in late December and spring festivals see rapid sell outs.
• Anticipate Local Conditions: Certain areas have weather patterns such as monsoon seasons which may impact your plans. Accommodate your travel accordingly.
• Travel Insurance: With the volume of travel these days, extra protection from insurance is a good opportunity for defense against delays or cancellations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Will Vietnam be open to all tourists in 2026?

Yes. Travelers from China, South Korea, India, the United States, Japan, and Australia are all represented and the numbers of all these visitors is continuing to improve.

Q2: Will there be more flight routes to Vietnam?

Travel access is a priority. Resources are being dedicated to increase services by Vietnam Airlines, China Eastern, and Korean Air, and newer airlines such as Sun PhuQuoc Airways will be on the market by late 2025/2026.

Q3: Will it be more expensive to travel to Vietnam with increased tourism?

Typically yes, but prices may normalize with early booking.

Vietnam’s tourism surge accelerates as Vietnam Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, and Korean Air expand routes, driving record arrivals from China, Korea, India, and beyond.

Author’s Experience

The Vietnam tourism surge is a concrete example of the progress made after the pandemic and Vietnam’s rise to prominence as a top travel destination. With improved Aviation partnerships, and growth in diverse target market visitation, Vietnam is well positioned to be among the most successful travel markets in Asia. There are still challenges with developing infrastructure to keep pace with the level of visitation and the seasonality of travel to Vietnam, but with strong supportive policies in place, the adaptability demonstrated by the airlines, and strong demand for travel, the future is bright.