Around 1.34 million visitors flock to Hanoi for Lunar New Year Holiday
Hanoi’s tourism sector recorded a strong surge during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, with both visitor arrivals and revenue rising by double digits.
THE HANOI TIMES — Hanoi is estimated to have welcomed around 1.34 million visitors during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday from February 14 to 22, up 36.3% from a year earlier, according to the Hanoi Department of Tourism.
A calligrapher presents handwritten inscriptions to visitors during Lunar New Year celebrations at the Temple of Literature. Photo: Chuyen Cua Ha Noi Group
International arrivals reached about 217,000, up 55% year on year, while domestic travelers rose 33.2% to roughly 1.13 million.
Meanwhile, tourism revenue is estimated at VND4.87 trillion (US$ $195 million), up 40.2%.
China, South Korea, India, France, the UK, the US, Taiwan, Germany, the Philippines and Australia were the largest source markets.
Average hotel occupancy reached 66.8%, up 1.2 percentage points year on year, with four- and five-star properties exceeding 72%, reflecting solid demand in the high-end segment.
International visitors watch a traditional Vietnamese water puppetry performance at the Spring Market hosted by Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. Photo courtesy of the hotel
Luxury hotels rolled out immersive Tet-themed experiences. At Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, a dedicated “Metropole Tet Space” featured lion dances, water puppetry, ca tru singing and calligraphy. Novotel Suites Hanoi launched its “Tet Market 2026” program, while Pan Pacific Hanoi introduced seasonal culinary offerings.
Local authorities also expanded experiential tourism offerings, with heritage sites adding craft demonstrations, folk performances and interactive programs. Cultural events were scaled up, with greater investment in content and presentation.
At the Heritage House at 87 Ma May Street, organizers recreated traditional Tet living spaces to give visitors a glimpse of old Hanoi. The Temple of Literature hosted its annual Spring Calligraphy Festival, while the Thang Long Imperial Citadel staged a year-end reenactment ceremony.
Heritage sites and cultural venues also reported strong footfall.
Between February 14 and 20, the Temple of Literature welcomed 119,583 visitors, while the Thang Long Imperial Citadel recorded 49,181.
The Huong Pagoda festival adopted e-ticketing, QR code entry and AI-assisted traffic monitoring, streamlining access and crowd management and attracted 76,608 visitors.
Meanwhile, the 2026 Co Loa Spring Festival piloted a digital heritage space model. The Co Loa Ancient Citadel drew more than 38,800 visitors, while Hoa Lo Prison received 24,663.
Little visitors to Hanoi Book Street on the occasion of Tet Holiday. Photo: Pho Sach Ha Noi 19/12
Dang Huong Giang, director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, said authorities and businesses had coordinated closely to improve service standards and roll out new tourism offerings to preserve heritage values while gradually increasing visitor spending and extending the length of stay for both domestic and international travelers.
