UN Tourism reported on June 2 that international tourist arrivals worldwide rose by 2% year-on-year in the first quarter, reaching around 307 million travelers.

Meanwhile, data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism showed that the country welcomed nearly 6.8 million international visitors during the first three months of the year, up 12.4% from the same period in 2025.

The growth rate was four times higher than the average for Asia-Pacific.

The momentum continued into the first five months of the year, with international arrivals increasing by nearly 15%.

The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism attributed the strong performance to several factors, including political stability, welcoming environment, diverse tourism products, and improving service quality.

Tourism officials also cited effective tourism promotion campaigns, market diversification efforts, visa facilitation measures, and expanded international flight connections as key drivers of growth.

Amid ongoing global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, the results underscore the resilience and adaptability of Vietnam's tourism industry.

According to UN Tourism, Europe and Africa recorded the strongest tourism growth in the first quarter.

Europe welcomed more than 130 million international visitors, up 4% compared with the same period last year.

Central and Eastern Europe posted the region's highest growth rate at 6%, followed by Northern Europe and the Southern Mediterranean, both at 4%.

Asia-Pacific saw a 3% increase in visitor numbers overall. Although arrivals surged by 9% in February, growth slowed to 2% in March amid tensions linked to conflicts in the Middle East.

Despite the recovery, the region remained 11% below pre-pandemic levels.

Among the world's fastest-growing destinations were Paraguay (46%), New Caledonia (45%), El Salvador (43%), Mongolia (39%), and both Palau and Uzbekistan (37%).

According to the UN Tourism Panel of Experts, the three biggest challenges facing the global tourism industry in 2026 are conflict in the Middle East, rising transportation costs, and higher accommodation prices.

Around 64% of experts believe ongoing conflicts are negatively affecting tourism demand in their destinations, while 61% said geopolitical tensions are contributing to a decline in international travel.