Public-private partnership: Sustainable solutions for Vietnam's smokeless industry

With public-private cooperation, we see that the cooperation of businesses and local authorities has created new momentum for destinations and enhanced the overall competitiveness of Vietnamese tourism.

Mobilizing resources, enhancing destination competitiveness, and promoting sustainable development by sharing benefits and risks are important roles in public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the tourism industry. This “handshake” also helps reduce the burden on the state budget, encourages the participation of both the community and businesses, and creates innovative solutions and higher quality services.

So, has public-private partnership in Vietnam's smokeless industry actually promoted its strengths and achieved any positive results? Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai, discussed this issue.

Pressure from "public-private leverage"

- In your role as a State management agency, do you think tourism in Vietnam has recently promoted the strength of public-private cooperation?

Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai: In recent years, there have been a series of events and stimulus programs, international fairs, digital media campaigns on many platforms... all leaving the mark of public-private cooperation. This coordination and support has been helping to expand the market, increase customer growth, and clearly affirm Vietnam's position globally, contributing to increasing the level of recognition of Vietnam's image in the world .

We believe that public-private partnerships bring many practical benefits, helping to maximize social resources while also creating pressure for businesses and communities to participate in deeper socio-economic development. Thanks to public-private partnerships, tourism businesses can build many products, improve service quality and thereby promote competitiveness in the region and globally.

Tourism is not only a normal business activity of enterprises but also a social activity, affecting the community and the environment. The role of the State is to protect public interests; enterprises accompany in promoting creativity and creating socio-economic efficiency.

With public-private cooperation, we see that the cooperation of businesses and local authorities has created new momentum for destinations and enhanced the overall competitiveness of Vietnamese tourism.

Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai. (Photo: Mai Mai/Vietnam+)

Public-private partnership is an inevitable direction in Vietnam and the world. Countries use this model to promote socio-economic development, including the tourism sector. In Vietnam, the Politburo issued Resolution 08 on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector.

We think that in tourism development, in addition to the strong direction of the Government and authorities at all levels, there needs to be cooperation from the community, localities, businesses, especially travel and accommodation companies and distribution agents.

We assess that the public-private partnership model in Vietnam is currently being implemented very strongly. For example, Da Nang has cooperated with Traveloka from 2024 to early 2025, the outstanding result is that the locality has attracted 5.8 million international tourists. Domestic tourists also recorded an increasing trend through the stimulus package on Traveloka's online platform.

Hue also cooperates with businesses, Hanoi cooperates with airlines to promote destinations. Ho Chi Minh City has applied technology to issue e-vouchers to tourists. In particular, through online platforms, people can easily find suitable stimulus programs to register and experience.

In the first 9 months of 2025, Vietnam welcomed over 15.4 million international visitors (up 21.5% over the same period in 2024. (Photo: VNA)

Not only big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hue... many localities are also in need of increasing promotion with communication campaigns on tourism platforms like Agoda, Traveloka, Booking.com...

In the coming time, we will strongly promote public-private cooperation to both mobilize maximum social resources in promoting tourism development, and at the same time demonstrate the State's management role through policy mechanisms, and at the same time connect and create a playground that ensures the benefits of three parties: businesses, the State and people from stimulus programs.

Breakthrough plan

- The cooperation project between localities and some online tourism platforms as you just informed has brought more choices to users in the context of digital transformation. How do you evaluate this "handshake" will help develop and promote destinations, especially what benefits will people receive?

Ms. Mai Hoa: Digital transformation in tourism is clearly an inevitable trend. In Vietnam, the Government has also given very strong direction. We have promoted tourism with professional expertise, strengthened cooperation with key markets, and promoted communication and promotion. Currently, not only travel companies but also localities have connected and "joined hands" with online sales agents such as Agoda, Booking.com, Traveloka, etc.

For example, Da Nang recently cooperated with Traveloka, launching a stimulus program with many vouchers on this platform. In the near future, Ho Chi Minh City will also pilot this model and is expected to officially cooperate with Traveloka in 2026. The goal is to attract international visitors to Vietnam and domestic tourists will also travel more.

I hope that through these stimulus programs, the ultimate goal is that people will experience and connect with each other to both explore and enjoy, thereby "relaxing" and creating material values ​​for society.

Da Nang and Traveloka cooperate to promote destinations on digital platforms.)

- From now until the end of the year, we must achieve the very high target set by the Government of 25 million international visitors. Thus, the tourism industry must welcome nearly 2 million visitors/month to meet the target. So, could you tell us how the National Tourism Administration has specifically planned to make a breakthrough in the last 3 months of the year?

Ms. Mai Hoa: With a determined and resolute spirit, we are building a long-term strategy and will submit it to the Government and the Prime Minister. At the same time, we also have plans to implement short-term programs, at least to ensure acceleration in the last 3 months of the year.

Currently, in addition to stimulus programs, coordination with international platforms to help localities and businesses increase connections with units, enhance promotion of Vietnamese destinations and especially increase sales efficiency, in the long term, we will advise on policy mechanisms to have a clear legal corridor, creating more favorable conditions for tourists to come to Vietnam. For example, further loosening visa policies, improving the quality of service infrastructure...

In addition, we will also step up programs to promote the image of Vietnamese tourism in key markets, along with traditional markets, with the goal of achieving double-digit growth as before the COVID-19 pandemic. For potential markets with high spending and long-term stays, we are also planning to organize promotion programs.

For example, we recently went to India to organize business-to-business meetings (B2B), connect with local governments and promote tourism through cinema… That is also an innovative solution to promote and boost tourism in the coming time.

- Thank you for sharing./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hop-tac-cong-tu-giai-phap-ben-vung-cho-nganh-cong-nghiep-khong-khoi-viet-nam-post1072156.vnp