International tourists are spending more.

On the afternoon of May 26th, a press conference was held to announce the Digital Finance Day 2026 program with the theme "Smart Payments Drive Digital Finance".

Representatives from regulatory agencies, banks, and Tuoi Tre newspaper visited and experienced digital payment at Ben Thanh Market - Photo: QUANG DINH

The program was implemented under the direction of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, and was organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper in coordination with the Office and Payment Department of the SBV, the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City, and the Vietnam National Payment Corporation (Napas).

At the press conference, Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Director of the Payment Department of the State Bank of Vietnam, said that bilateral payments between Vietnam and China were launched at the beginning of April, and inbound payments were implemented at the end of April. Sales by Chinese tourists have been extremely impressive, increasing from a few hundred million dong daily to billions of dong in a single day, not to mention the South Korean market.

Sales increased by billions of dong in a single day.

"Based on recent results, it can be predicted that as the number of people participating in bilateral payments increases, cross-border payment sales will be much larger than expected," Mr. Tuan said, adding that the active participation of banks, along with the expansion of payment options for Chinese tourists not only through Alipay but also WeChat Pay, will contribute to attracting a large number of Chinese tourists to use these e-wallets for spending in Vietnam.

Based on these initial results, Mr. Tuan believes that as the number of participants in bilateral payments increases, cross-border payment volume will continue to grow strongly and may exceed expectations. Simultaneously, many new projects are being launched, such as the Vietnam-Malaysia bilateral payment system, which aims for completion in 2027.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung, Deputy General Director of NAPAS, said that the unit completed connections with Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia in 2024. In early 2026, NAPAS will continue to expand to China and South Korea, and plans to deploy additional services in Singapore and Taiwan by the end of the year. Thus, by the end of this year, a total of seven international markets will be connected.

To date, more than 20 banks and payment intermediaries in Vietnam have participated in promoting cross-border payments, contributing to supporting domestic and international trade. Through this system, Vietnamese people can directly use their domestic banking applications to scan payment codes when shopping, dining, or using services in connected countries.

"Transactions will be automatically converted to the local currency, helping users avoid having to exchange and carry large amounts of foreign currency cash when traveling abroad," Mr. Tung said.

International tourists shopping at Ben Thanh Market on May 26 - Photo: QUANG DINH

The region's leading vibrant digital payments market.

In the bustling shopping area of ​​Ben Thanh Market (Ho Chi Minh City), on the afternoon of May 26th, leaders from Tuoi Tre newspaper, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, representatives from the State Bank of Vietnam, and many commercial banks directly experienced QR Pay digital payment solutions.

At Ngoc Hoa's tea, coffee, confectionery, and jam stall, the group experienced purchasing goods using QR Pay instead of the usual QR code transfer method. After scanning the code, the banking application immediately displayed the amount of 110,000 VND to confirm the payment. The transaction was completed quickly, and an electronic invoice was issued shortly afterward.

Ms. Tran Thi Hong, the owner of a beverage stall at Ben Thanh Market, said that about 70% of customers choose cashless payment, especially among young people, where this rate is around 80-90%, but the main payment method is simply scanning QR codes.

"Scanning QR codes on Pay and seeing the payment amount immediately makes it easier to track revenue, and also makes tax declaration much more convenient," Ms. Hong affirmed.

Kelvin Utomo, Head of Products and Solutions for Visa Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, believes that Vietnam is entering a period of strong growth in digital commerce, with a high level of consumer confidence and readiness. This is one of the factors that differentiates the Vietnamese market from many other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Three years ago, at the Cashless Day event, the contactless payment rate on the Visa system in Vietnam was only about 50%. By the time Digital Finance Day was announced, this number had increased to about 80%, with 30% coming from global e-wallet features," said Kelvin Utomo.

According to him, the government and partners in the digital payment ecosystem are promoting various solutions to support small and medium-sized enterprises, especially household businesses, contributing to the development of the digital economy and helping small businesses access more modern payment methods.

"Based on our experience, we believe it's necessary to continue expanding the network of digital payment acceptance. Businesses should view this not just as a cost, but as a necessary condition for growth in the context of rapidly changing consumer behavior," suggested Kelvin Utomo.

Ho Chi Minh City is attracting a large influx of investment from both domestic and international tourists.

Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, said that in the context of Ho Chi Minh City being assigned a double-digit GRDP growth target, the industry and trade sector is focusing on developing modern commercial infrastructure, promoting e-commerce and solutions to stimulate consumer demand. This will contribute to boosting the economic growth of the city and the country as a whole.

Ho Chi Minh City is also promoting a model that combines tourism with shopping to attract international tourists.

In the context of the city recently receiving directives to strengthen coordination among departments and agencies to develop models to stimulate trade and tourism, Mr. Phuong noted that due to competitive pressure among retail businesses, payment technology is almost fully developed in modern supermarket systems.

However, there are challenges in introducing digital payments into traditional markets and grocery stores, "many solutions have been proposed but have not been truly successful."

Therefore, to promote digital payments in traditional areas, it is necessary to understand the actual needs of small business owners in order to develop more suitable solutions.

* Ms. Vu Thanh Truc (Director of Brand Management and Marketing Campaigns at Prudential Vietnam):

Aiming for a transparent and convenient insurance experience.

Life insurance is a long-term product that remains with customers throughout their lives.

Therefore, digital transformation is not just about technology or engineering, but also about redesigning the entire customer experience journey to help customers access information more transparently, conveniently, and easily.

The company is focusing on developing a one-touch solution for every journey, allowing customers to track the entire process from submitting insurance application to claims settlement and other related activities.

Through all our efforts, we want to emphasize that the most important measure of digital transformation remains based on improving the customer experience, strengthening trust, and fostering long-term customer loyalty throughout their insurance journey.

* Ms. Nguyen Phuong Huyen (member of the executive board and Director of Retail Banking, Sacombank):

Opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese banks.

Sacombank has been implementing QR Global payment services in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos for many years, and has recently expanded to China and South Korea, recording a fairly impressive transaction rate.

The benefits of this model extend beyond simply serving domestic customers traveling abroad through digital payment platforms; it also opens up prospects for the formation of an ASEAN digital payment market.

Accordingly, banks not only create additional payment touchpoints outside the country but also have the opportunity to attract more foreign currency from foreign visitors to Vietnam.

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ANH HONG - BONG MAI - DUC THIEN - NHAT XUAN - CONG TRUNG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khach-quoc-te-rut-vi-nhieu-hon-20260527081748314.htm