Vietnam

Kangwon Land Inc, the operator of South Korea’s only casino open to locals, has signed agreements with Leisure Trips in the Philippines and Dong Thi Travel, in Vietnam to develop tourism products. This will be supported by a visa-free entry scheme at Yangyang International Airport in Gangwon province for travellers from the Philippines, Vietnam, Mongolia, and Indonesia. There are plans to develop tourism products with Airmark, the Philippine general sales agent for South Korean air carrier Aero K, ahead of its expected resumption of flights in Nov between Manila Airport and Cheongju International Airport

Effective 20 Aug, ordinary passport holders from Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam are eligible for 2 visa-free schemes in China, including a 240-hour transit scheme across 65 designated ports with a confirmed onward ticket to a third destination (expanding the program to 57 countries worldwide), and a 30-day stay in Hainan Province via its international ports (expanding that scheme to 61 countries). Both initiatives permit short-term activities such as tourism, business visits, and family reunions, whilst explicitly excluding employment, formal study, or journalistic work, which still mandate valid advance visas or dedicated immigration procedures for long-term stays

Flash floods and landslides struck northern Nepal on 26 Aug. Nearly 500 people have been confirmed dead, and over 1,500 individuals remain missing. A Vietnamese citizen is reported missing following the disaster, according to the Nepal Tourism Board

According to Trip.com data for the National Day holiday (29 Aug-2 Sep), outbound travel is driving Vietnam’s tourism growth, with YoY flight bookings up 44% and hotel reservations surging by 123%. Leading departures from Hanoi (55%) and HCMC, travellers are primarily heading to mainland China, which captured nearly 40% of flights and 63% of hotel stays, alongside South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan. Vietnamese holidaymakers are planning ahead and extending trip lengths, averaging 41 days' advance flight booking, 2.13-night hotel stays, and 13.6-day round-trip durations. This year’s lead times are slightly shorter than those in 2025. Last year also recorded shorter average reservation duration (2.06 nights), and longer average round-trip flight duration (11.2 days). Concurrently, inbound international travel remains strong, led by South Korea alongside growth from Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and the UK, with Da Nang overtaking HCMC as the top domestic destination and over 70% of incoming visitors booking four-star or higher accommodations

Traveloka SEA Index Q2 2026 based on booking and search data across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam shows Southeast Asian travellers are travelling far from home, staying longer, and looking for experiences. The data shows the highest demand for domestic destinations in Southeast Asia is Malang in Indonesia, with 90 demand score; Kuala Terengganu in Malaysia, with 76; Singapore (for staycation) with 20; Nakhon Phanom in Thailand, with 92; and Phu Quoc in Vietnam (100). The highest-demand international destination from Indonesia was Seoul (99); Krabi (100) for Malaysia; Fukuoka (100) for Singapore; Seoul (100) for Thailand; and Tokyo (96) for Vietnam. The report also found: Phu Quoc bookings recorded +86% YoY; Con Dao, Hoi An, and Da Nang (Ba Na Hills up 132%) became top searched destinations; For Malaysian travellers, Krabi, Thailand recorded 5x growth in bookings. Bookings to Kuala Terengganu, which is a gateway to Redang and Perhentian islands, have doubled YOY, while Bali saw Malaysian bookings double, with longer stays. Malaysian tourists' stays in Bali grew from 2.3 to 2.7 nights, with bigger family groups; Da Nang attracts the region's largest travel parties (2.23 people/booking), and Vietnamese stays in Bangkok have increased from 3.2 to 3.6 nights. Travellers spend less on shorter and fewer flights, and redirect spending on accommodation and experiences.; Across Southeast Asia, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei outperformed average market growth across all five Traveloka markets; Chengdu, Shenzhen, Kunming, and Chongqing grew 2–4x the market pace, boosted by mutual visa-free deals (China with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand) and China's unilateral visa waiver extended through end-2026; Qingdao recorded a 9X YoY increase in bookings across Southeast Asia due to an increase in flight connectivity to HCMC and Penang launched in early 2026