Why More Indians Are Choosing Vietnam for Halong Bay Trips (2026 Data)
Indian arrivals to Vietnam nearly doubled in two years, and 2026 is on pace to beat that growth again. That's not a marketing claim: it shows up consistently in government tourism data, in three airlines launching new direct routes within a single year, and in Indian travel-comparison sites independently reaching the same conclusion: Vietnam has become one of the fastest-growing outbound destinations for Indian travelers, and the reasons are specific enough to actually plan around.
TL;DR: Indian arrivals to Vietnam grew from 392,000 (2023) to roughly 746,000 (2025), a nearly 48% year-on-year jump in the most recent full year, and early 2026 data shows that pace accelerating further. Three airlines (Air India, Akasa Air, IndiGo) launched direct India-Hanoi routes in 2026 alone, removing the biggest practical barrier to a Halong Bay trip. Vietnam's e-visa is faster and simpler than Thailand's newly reinstated visa fee process, and multiple travel-comparison sources report it's meaningfully cheaper than Bali for a comparable trip. Growing Indian-food accommodation on Halong Bay cruises specifically is itself part of what's sustaining this growth, not just a side effect of it.
The Numbers: How Fast Is Indian Travel to Vietnam Growing?
Indian arrivals to Vietnam rose from 392,000 in 2023 to roughly 507,000 in 2024 and approximately 746,000 in 2025, making India the country's sixth-largest source market by that point (VnExpress International, citing Vietnam National Tourism Administration data, retrieved 2026-09-23), a roughly 48% year-on-year increase in 2025 alone.
Early 2026 figures suggest the growth is compounding rather than leveling off. One report puts arrivals in the first two months of 2026 at over 158,400, a roughly 71% year-on-year increase (Airports Corporation of Vietnam, via Routesonline, retrieved 2026-09-24). A separate figure already established on our homepage cites 324,000+ arrivals across the first four months of 2026, a 35% year-on-year increase (VnExpress International, citing VNAT data, retrieved 2026-09-23). These aren't contradictory: they're different reporting windows (two months vs. four) published at different points in the year. The honest takeaway is that Vietnam's own tourism reporting on this trend has been a moving target through 2026, not a single fixed number. Whichever exact figure you use, the direction is the same: sustained, fast growth, not a one-year spike.
New Direct Flights Are Removing the Biggest Practical Barrier
Until 2026, getting from India to Hanoi meant a layover: usually in Bangkok, Singapore, or Kuala Lumpur. That changed fast, with three airlines launching direct India-Hanoi routes within months of each other:
- Air India: direct Delhi–Hanoi (HAN–DEL), launched May 2026, five flights per week on an Airbus A320neo, roughly 4.5 hours flight time (Air India Newsroom; Routesonline, retrieved 2026-09-24).
- Akasa Air: direct Mumbai–Hanoi, four flights per week, first flight landed September 4, 2026 (vietnamwithme.com, retrieved 2026-09-24).
- IndiGo: daily direct Mumbai–Hanoi, launching October 25, 2026 (Travel And Tour World, retrieved 2026-09-24).
This matters for Halong Bay specifically because the bay itself is a 2-3 hour transfer from Hanoi, not a separate airport: a direct flight to Hanoi is effectively a direct flight to Halong Bay's gateway city. A shorter, layover-free journey removes real friction for the exact traveler this site is written for, someone weighing whether a multi-day trip with dietary requirements is worth the hassle. One fewer connection is one fewer place for checked luggage (or, less dramatically, patience) to go wrong before you've even started.
Why Vietnam Over Thailand or Bali?
Multiple Indian travel-comparison sites (general travel content, not government or airline sources, so treat the specific figures as directional rather than verified) converge on similar reasoning:
- Visa ease: Vietnam's e-visa costs around $25, allows multiple entries, is valid 90 days, and is typically processed within about 3 working days. Thailand reinstated visa fees for Indian travelers in 2026, reportedly adding roughly ₹2,500–4,000 per person to trip costs that weren't there before. Bali's visa-on-arrival is still simple, but Vietnam's e-visa is commonly described as comparably easy with the added benefit of a longer validity window.
- Value: several sources report Vietnam running 15–35% cheaper than Bali for a comparable itinerary and comfort level, particularly on accommodation, food, and local transport. That's plausible directionally given Bali's well-documented recent tourist-pricing pressure and tourist levy, though we haven't independently verified the specific percentage range.
None of this is unique to Halong Bay, but it's the macro context for why the Indian-traveler market this site serves exists at all and keeps growing. More first-time and repeat Indian travelers are choosing Vietnam over its two most obvious competitors, and a meaningful share of them are adding Halong Bay to the itinerary once they do.
Indian Food Availability Is a Growth Driver, Not Just a Response to One
It's easy to read the causation only one way: more Indian tourists, so more cruises started offering Indian food. The relationship likely runs both directions. Cruise operators that got the Indian-food question right early have a real incentive to market it loudly specifically because agents booking multi-day group trips are actively screening for it, and a visible, credible Indian-food option can be the deciding factor between two otherwise similar itineraries. As direct flights make the trip easier to book and visa costs make Vietnam look better next to Thailand, the remaining friction point for many Indian travelers isn't logistics anymore: it's "will I actually be able to eat." That's the exact question this entire site exists to answer.
What This Means If You're Planning a Trip
Two practical implications follow from this growth data. First, booking further ahead matters more now than it did two years ago. More Indian travelers are chasing the same pool of cruises with genuine Indian-food kitchens, which means less slack in availability, especially in peak windows. Second, the new direct flights make it worth checking your specific route before assuming a layover is unavoidable. Delhi and Mumbai now have direct options that didn't exist a year ago, which can meaningfully shorten a trip that already has a lot of moving pieces (visa, cruise notice period, onward travel).
Conclusion
The growth in Indian travel to Vietnam isn't a single explanation. It's visa ease, new direct flights, better relative value than Bali or Thailand, and a maturing Indian-food option on cruises like the ones covered throughout this site, all reinforcing each other. If you're planning a Halong Bay trip, the practical takeaway is to book earlier than you might have two years ago, check whether a new direct route now serves your city, and treat the food question as seriously as the flights: it's the one piece of this trip that's genuinely still hit-or-miss.
See our full Vietnam trip-planning guide →: visa requirements, seasonal timing, and a cost breakdown in Indian rupees. Or jump straight to the best time to visit Halong Bay if you're ready to pick dates.
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