To capture the overall picture of the Tet travel season, online travel platform Booking.com has released search data reflecting travellers’ levels of interest throughout the Spring holiday of 2026.

Branavan Aruljothi, Country Director of Booking.com in Viet Nam, said: “Tet 2026 highlights clear diversity in travellers’ behaviour, from travelling early to avoid the peak season to short international trips.”

Vietnamese travellers becoming more proactive in planning their journeys

From early departures to avoid crowds to trips that fully embrace the busiest part of the holiday, Booking.com’s data shows that travel experiences are becoming increasingly varied.

According to Branavan Aruljothi, whether travellers are seeking cooler climates such as Da Lat or showing interest in international destinations such as India and Japan, it is evident that Vietnamese travellers are becoming more proactive and more purposeful in how they use their public-holiday time.

Looking back at the period before Tet, most Vietnamese travellers searched for familiar domestic resorts. Meanwhile, international destinations across Asia have drawn growing interest thanks to short distances and convenient transport links.

For domestic travel ahead of Tet, Phu Quoc topped the search list, rising three places compared with Tet 2025. Other destinations most searched by Vietnamese travellers in the days leading up to Tet were Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Ha Noi, Vung Tau, Mui Ne, Hoi An and Hue.

Beyond those destinations, Con Dao —an island known for its peaceful beaches and favourable weather around January and February — also emerged as a popular pre-Tet choice.

For international travel, Thailand remained the most favoured overseas destination, with four cities in the top 10 searches (Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin). In addition, New Delhi (India) recorded search growth of more than 500%, climbing 68 places to rank 12th.

Whether taking a short domestic break or a brief overseas trip, Vietnamese travellers are using the long holiday to celebrate Tet in their own way through meaningful travel experiences.

A lively domestic market throughout Tet

The peak days of the Tet break are also when travel activities are at their busiest of the year. Booking.com data shows searches by Vietnamese travellers rose sharply compared with the same period last year, focusing mainly on resort destinations and cooler-climate cities where families can gather, relax and recharge.

In the domestic market, Da Lat was the most searched destination among Vietnamese travellers this Tet, followed by Phu Quoc and Nha Trang. Phan Thiet and Sa Pa also saw search growth rise fivefold compared with 2025, placing them in the top 10 most searched destinations for the 2026 Tet holiday.

Internationally, Vietnamese travellers tended to broaden their itineraries to more distant destinations as the holiday lengthened. While familiar Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia have remained popular, Vietnamese travellers are increasingly showing a clearer shift towards longer-haul trips.

Accordingly, besides Thailand, Japan emerged as a particularly popular international market for Vietnamese travellers during Tet 2026. In addition to Tokyo — ranked second in the search chart — other destinations such as Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka also drew considerable attention this Tet.

With a nine-day holiday this year, travellers are prioritising meaningful experiences that match personal preferences to make the most of this special period.

Branavan Aruljothi, Country Director of Booking.com in Viet Nam

After Tet, for many travellers, this is a calm period for deeper experiences. As the festive rush begins to fade, some people embark on a new trip. According to Booking.com, this group opts for journeys with strong cultural and spiritual elements, along with a tendency to explore farther and more experience-rich destinations.

Domestically, Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Ho Chi Minh City continued to lead searches for post-Tet trips. During this period, a range of seasonal cultural events and festivals take place, boosting interest in destinations associated with traditional festivals such as Nha Trang, Da Lat, Ha Noi and Vung Tau.

Notably, Tien Xuan where the Tay Phuong Pagoda Festival is held also recorded impressive search growth, reflecting strong interest in traditional festivals at the start of the year.

Internationally, familiar destinations such as Bangkok, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore remained the leading choices for Vietnamese travellers’ early-year plans. Meanwhile, searches have been gradually expanding to global cities such as Osaka, Paris, Chiang Mai and Sydney, as travellers place greater emphasis on in-depth cultural experiences.

“With a nine-day holiday this year, travellers are prioritising meaningful experiences that suit personal preferences to make the most of this special time,” Branavan Aruljothi added.