HANOI - Vietnam recorded an estimated 6.5 million tourist visits during the five-day National Day holiday, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

The national estimate covers Aug. 29 through Sept. 2 and represents an 18.1% increase from the tourism authority’s figure for the 2025 National Day break.

Báo Văn Hóa quoted VNAT Chairman Nguyễn Trùng Khánh as saying, translated from Vietnamese: “It is estimated that the country welcomed and served about 6.5 million visitor trips, up 18.1% from the same period in 2025.”

The comparison covers holiday periods of different lengths. Vietnam’s 2025 National Day break lasted four days, from Aug. 30 through Sept. 2, and generated about 5.5 million tourist visits. This year’s figure covers five days, so the 18.1% increase should not be read as an equivalent daily growth rate.

Ho Chi Minh City had the largest estimated visitor total reported during the holiday, with about 1.71 million visits. The city’s tourism department estimated about 1.65 million domestic visits and 62,000 international arrivals, with tourism receipts of approximately VND4.9 trillion.

Khanh Hoa estimated about 1.249 million visits and VND2.1 trillion in tourism revenue, while average room occupancy was about 86%. Hanoi was estimated to receive more than 904,000 visits and generate more than VND3 trillion in tourism receipts.

Da Nang estimated more than 850,000 visits, up 37% from its 2025 National Day holiday total, including more than 224,000 international arrivals. The city’s official tourism portal put tourism receipts at about VND3.326 trillion.

The holiday also produced heavier transport demand. On Aug. 29, 15 operating sections of the North-South Expressway East handled 321,776 vehicle trips, up 57.4% from Aug. 27 as National Day travel accelerated.

Vietnam is separately targeting 25 million international arrivals in 2026, after receiving nearly 21.2 million foreign visitors in 2025.

At an Aug. 27 tourism forum in Ho Chi Minh City, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Lâm Thị Phương Thanh said Vietnam was seeking greater value from meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism.

“We want to create appeal so MICE visitors to Vietnam stay longer, enjoy memorable experiences and return because they love Vietnam and its people,” she said in Vietnamese.