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| Tourists ‘checking-in’ at Hue Imperial Citadel |
A Positive Growth
Hue’s tourism performance in the first 6 months showed that the number of tourists not only surged during long public holidays but also recorded steady month-on-month growth. The city tourism industry was estimated to welcome over 4.3 million tourist arrivals in the first 6 months, witnessing an increase of 30% year-on-year.
Despite the displacement in fuel prices, Hue maintained robust growth in both international and domestic tourism. Particularly, international tourist arrivals were estimated at 1.5 million, a year-on-year increase of 25.1%, while domestic arrivals reached an estimated 2.8 million, up 30.1% from the same period last year. Tourism revenue was estimated at VND 10.3 trillion, representing a 56.2% year-on-year increase.
According to Mr. Vo Hoang Lien Minh, Head of the Tourism Management Division at the Department of Tourism, the total number of overnight visitors was estimated at 1.5 million, up 19.3% year-on-year, while the number of international overnight visitors accounted for an estimated 511,000, representing a 16% increase compared to the same period last year.
Domestic travelers continued to make up the backbone of Hue’s tourism market, with strong demand for resort stays, heritage tours, cultural and culinary experiences, and festival-related activities. As for international visitors, traditional source markets remained dominant in visitor arrivals and continued to grow steadily.
Traditional source markets, including France, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia, continued to account for the largest share of international visitors to Hue. The city’s top 10 international source markets in the first half of 2026 were France, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Italy, Malaysia, Thailand, and Spain. France remained the largest source market, with approximately 59,000 visitors, accounting for 15% of Hue’s total international arrivals. It was followed by the United States with nearly 45,000 visitors, while Germany ranked third with over 28,000 visitors.
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| Tourists participating in hands-on experiences at Hue Lotus Festival 2026 |
Beyond its traditional source markets, Hue also saw a more diversified international visitor profile, with strong growth from several emerging markets. Visitor arrivals from Canada rose by approximately 49%, while those from China increased by around 36%, outpacing growth in many of the city’s traditional markets.
Notably, Hue is also gradually diversifying its tourism portfolio with signature products ranging from coastal and lagoon ecotourism in Tam Giang-Cau Hai Lagoon to community-based tourism, craft village, agricultural, wellness, and cultural tourism in A Luoi and Phu Loc. Meanwhile, the city is expanding its green tours and Net Zero tourism products, which combine visits to traditional garden houses in Kim Long, Thuy Bieu, Ru Cha mangrove forest, and eco-friendly transport such as bicycles and electric vehicles.
Hue has also launched pilot waterway tourism services along the Ngu Ha, Dong Ba, and An Cuu rivers, connecting visitors with Bao Vinh and Gia Hoi Ancient Towns. At the same time, the city is developing homestay models, experiential spaces showcasing traditional crafts, and initiatives to promote Hue’s traditional costumes and Hue Ao Dai.
Stepping up Tourism Development
By the end of 2026, Hue aims to welcome between 7.3 million and 7.5 million visitors, while generating approximately VND 20 trillion in tourism revenue. Achieving these targets will not only fulfill the tourism sector’s development roadmap but also contribute to the city’s broader economic growth objectives. At the tourism sector’s conference held earlier this year to outline its key tasks for 2026, Mr. Nguyen Khac Toan, Chairman of the Hue City People’s Committee, emphasized: “2026 marks the first year of implementing the Resolution of the City Party Congress for the new term. It is also a pivotal year for the 2026-2030 acceleration phase, during which the city is targeting double-digit GRDP growth. In this context, tourism must affirm its role as one of the city’s key drivers of growth”.
By welcoming over 4.3 million visitors in the first six months of the year, Hue has fulfilled nearly 60% of its annual tourism target. Even so, significant challenges remain. In the months ahead, the tourism sector will need to maintain strong growth in visitor arrivals while enhancing service quality and increasing tourist spending to meet its year-end goals.
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| Tourists travelling to Hue in Summer 2026 |
According to Ms. Tran Thi Hoai Tram, Director of the Department of Tourism, in addition to pursuing long-term strategies, the tourism sector is focusing on further implementing a wide range of measures and solutions to meet its development goals for 2026. As part of these efforts, the Department of Tourism is continuing to submit Hue City People’s Committee on the issuance of plans, projects, action programs, and policy directives to effectively carry out the tourism development agenda set out in the 2026 work plan.
The tourism sector is currently focusing on developing ecotourism and community-based tourism in the communes of Nam Dong, Long Quang, and Khe Tre, while making the most of Hue’s distinctive tourism products, including spiritual tourism, wellness tourism, culinary tourism, rural and agricultural tourism, and cruise tourism. At the same time, efforts are being made to maximize the potential of new tourism routes, particularly waterway tourism routes and itineraries linking heritage sites, traditional craft villages, and ecological landscapes. All of these aim to diversify tourism products and encourage visitors to extend their stays.
To further enhance the visibility of Hue as an attractive destination, the tourism sector needs to continue to introduce innovative approaches to tourism communication, promotion, marketing, and digital transformation. At the same time, greater efforts are needed to accelerate the adoption of information technology and digital transformation across the sector. Furthermore, the industry also needs to further upgrade digital platforms such as VisitHue and Hue Passport, while deploying AI-powered visitor assistance, multilingual audio guide systems, and smart tourism management systems.