The end of the year is often referred to as the "golden season" for the tourism market, particularly for international tours during Tet (Lunar New Year), Vietnam’s longest annual holiday.

The 2026 Lunar New Year (the Year of the Horse beginning on February 17, 2026), featuring a national holiday period of up to nine days, is generating strong travel demand, as many families seize the opportunity to combine relaxation, new experiences and new year celebrations at both domestic and international destinations.

This extended holiday, along with a trend of using annual leave to prolong travel, is expected to make this year's Tet tourism market more vibrant than in previous years.

Data from the digital travel platform Agoda indicates rising interest among Vietnamese tourists in travelling during the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday compared to the previous year. Search volume from October to November 2025 for check-in dates between February 14-22, 2026 show an upward trend in demand for both domestic and international travel.

This suggests that more travellers are planning their trips early, particularly for longer itineraries or overseas destinations that require careful preparation regarding visas, finances and schedules. For many families, Tet represents a rare opportunity to travel together for an extended period.

Kim Hien from Hanoi said that her family is considering a tour to Europe or Australia for the upcoming Tet holiday.

"This year's Lunar New Year holiday is quite long, so my family is prioritising overseas travel. For shorter holidays throughout the year, we usually opt for domestic trips. European tour prices during Tet are slightly higher than last year's, while tours to Australia remain stable and can be combined with visiting relatives, which makes Australia our likely choice," Hien said.

New, emerging destinations

According to Pham Thi Bich Ngoc, deputy director of Ascend Travel and Event, this year's Tet holiday travel trend is leaning towards long-duration itineraries, with customers choosing to travel throughout the holiday period and focusing on new and emerging destinations

Typically, families booking long-haul international tours during the Lunar New Year are busy households that seldom get the chance to travel together. Tet becomes a limited window for the entire family to rest and reconnect. As a result, many families are willing to invest in long-distance international tours that offer distinct experiences rather than familiar, short-haul trips.

Many families are departing earlier — before Tet really begins (from the 28th-29th of the 12th lunar month) — or extending their trips afterward to avoid peak travel periods and maximise their holiday time.

Popular destinations include Japan, Europe, Egypt, Morocco, and China. Japan continues to attract travellers with its winter scenery and cultural experiences, although rising airfares and exchange rates have pushed tour costs higher. China, with its competitive pricing, diverse offerings and convenient access, remains appealing. Tours to Egypt and Morocco, while relatively new, cater to travellers seeking distinctive experiences and willing to spend more.

Travel agencies project that the Lunar New Year 2026 tour market will grow by approximately 15-20% year-on-year. However, international tour prices are expected to rise slightly compared to last year due to higher operating costs, airfares and exchange-rate fluctuations.

At Ascend Travel and Event, a Dubai tour ranges from VND26-33 million per person; a China tour costs VND13-25 million per person; a Japan-the Republic of Korea tour ranges from VND16-56 million per person, while European tours are priced between VND68–84 million per person. The company is also preparing to launch Egypt tour packages in response to growing customer demand.

Tet is not the only holiday seeing higher travel costs. Year-end and Christmas tours abroad have also recorded a 5-10% price increase compared to the same period in 2024 due to rising airfare and fuel costs. Despite these increases, purchasing power has remained resilient.

VietJet Air opens early sales for 2.5 million Lunar New Year 2026 tickets

VOV.VN - To meet the high travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year 2026 (Tet), budget airline VietJet has launched early ticket sales for 2.5 million seats for the peak Tet travel period from February 3 to March 2, 2026.