Vietnam's tourism industry has the opportunity to make a breakthrough thanks to positive growth results in 2025. (Illustrative image: Vuong Cong Nam/Vietnam+)
To create momentum for Vietnam's tourism to enter a new era, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong said that the entire industry will focus on implementing many key tasks and solutions.
Notably, tourism businesses also affirmed that one of their most important goals is to create specialized, personalized experiences for high-end travelers.
Company vision
In 2025, the tourism industry marked a year of "bumper harvest" with impressive growth figures (welcoming nearly 21.2 million international visitors, 137 million domestic tourists, and total revenue from tourism exceeding one trillion VND). This positive result stemmed from an effective market diversification strategy, no longer overly dependent on traditional markets.
Markets like India have made a leap forward, and promotional activities in South Korea, Japan, China, and the United States have helped Vietnam's tourism brand shine on the world map. In particular, institutional breakthroughs such as the liberal e-visa policy and adjustments to electricity prices for accommodation establishments have become a "boost" for the business community to accelerate its growth.
According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Hoan, General Director of Flamingo Redtours, the success of tourism last year was also due to the fact that the number of international tourists visiting Vietnam is now more evenly distributed throughout the year, even during months that are typically off-peak seasons. Instead of concentrating only in coastal cities, this influx of tourists has spread to cultural heritage regions such as Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sa Pa, and Ha Giang, creating a balance across different regions.
Digital technology is one of the "foundations" for Vietnam's tourism to break through. (Illustrative image: Minh Son/Vietnam+)
In light of the tourism industry's goal for 2026 to shift from quantity to quality, attracting high-end, high-spending tourists, the Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, Mr. Cao Tri Dung, affirmed that the general spirit of businesses today is to focus on deeply exploiting the personalized experiences and specialized requirements of luxury travelers.
Anticipating this trend, major tourist destinations such as Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc are leading the way in the ecosystem of luxury and ultra-luxury products, closely linked to local culture. "Investing in specialized products such as MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), high-end weddings, or wellness retreats is the 'golden key' to extending the length of stay and spending of tourists," Mr. Cao Tri Dung emphasized.
Ms. Nguyen Hoai Thu, Director of Saigontourist's Hanoi branch, shared the company's experience, noting a 15-20% increase in tourist numbers during the first days of 2026.
Meanwhile, Saigontourist's strategy currently focuses on "inbound" tourists traveling by sea and air, with stringent quality requirements. Ms. Nguyen Hoai Thu, Director of Saigontourist's Hanoi branch, believes that to encourage repeat visits, Vietnamese tourism needs to shift its mindset from simply offering tourists a "sightseeing" experience to one focused on "deep experiences," such as directly participating in activities related to local crafts, agriculture, and cuisine.
According to representatives of travel agencies, preserving and promoting cultural identity along with protecting the environment needs special attention in tourism development. Because for sustainable tourism, green tourism linked to responsibility must become a practical action in each locality, business, and community, not just empty slogans.
Spectacular cultural performances on the heritage train – a unique tourism product of Hanoi. (Photo: Tuyet Mai/VNA)
The consensus among the government, local authorities, and businesses in raising community awareness will help Vietnam overcome the challenges in human resources and infrastructure after the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new industry-wide approach
Based on the results achieved in 2025, and forecasts of the global and domestic situation, industry leaders have set a target for 2026 to welcome 25 million international tourists, serve 150 million domestic tourists, and achieve total revenue of approximately 1,125 trillion VND.
Accordingly, the tasks that the sector will focus on include: advising on the improvement of institutions towards a "development-oriented" approach, amending the 2017 Tourism Law and other legal documents, and promoting administrative procedure reform; researching and advising on the issuance of "breakthrough policies and mechanisms" to facilitate the attraction of international tourists and tourism business activities, connecting with aviation, agriculture, and railways.
In particular, tourism continues to be oriented towards in-depth, high-quality, professional, and sustainable development; building diverse, high-end resort tourism products based on competitive advantages associated with promoting heritage values and national cultural identity; promoting the effective implementation of inter-regional coordination mechanisms in tourism activities; restructuring the market to suit Vietnam's potential and advantages and global trends;
The entire sector will also strengthen public-private cooperation, mobilize domestic and international social resources to invest in tourism development; enhance security and safety for tourists, create a cultural, civilized, friendly, and hospitable tourism environment; continue to innovate the content and methods in promoting and positioning the national tourism brand; develop a database system and digital platforms connecting information systems to serve policy planning and state management, as well as serving businesses and domestic and international tourists.
Recreating traditional cultural values to contribute to tourism development. (Photo: Vietnam National Tourism Administration)
In order to guide the tourism industry towards a real breakthrough, sustainable development, and contribution to the double-digit GDP growth target in 2026, at the meeting of the State Steering Committee on Tourism held yesterday (January 13th), Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh requested a new approach, shifting from a recovery mindset to a growth, competitiveness, and sustainable development mindset.
To achieve this, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, Vietnamese tourism needs to focus on addressing bottlenecks, limitations, and shortcomings, and must have breakthrough solutions. Regarding specific tasks, the Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to focus on effectively implementing the key resolutions of the Politburo, specifically the Politburo's Resolution 80-NQ/TW dated January 7, 2026, on the development of Vietnamese culture, which includes restructuring, improving the quality, and enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese tourism.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested a review of laws and legal documents, proposing amendments, additions, and improvements to the institutional framework if necessary; reviewing and adjusting the tourism system plan to ensure it aligns with the two-tiered local government model; and focusing resources on promoting tourism in high-spending market segments and new, potential markets…
Promoting cultural diplomacy and applying digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize promotional content tailored to each target market. In addition, guiding localities and businesses to develop high-end tourism products that suit each locality's strengths, such as green tourism, wellness tourism, MICE tourism, golf, etc., to enhance the quality and competitiveness of Vietnam as a tourist destination…
Korean tourists wearing Vietnamese ao dai (traditional dress) learn about the heritage of Dong Ho folk paintings. (Photo: Mai Mai/Vietnam+)
The Deputy Prime Minister requested that in 2026, ministries, sectors, and localities must demonstrate high determination and more decisive action, coordinate closely, and have specific programs and plans based on the "six clear principles," while overcoming limitations and difficulties, striving to achieve and surpass the assigned tasks in tourism.
(Vietnam+)
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/du-lich-viet-nam-2026-tam-nhin-moi-cho-chang-duong-kien-tao-phat-trien-post1088326.vnp
Comment (0)