Promoting tourism development, ensuring double-digit growth rate

On April 10, 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed and issued Official Dispatch No. 34/CD-TTG on promoting tourism development, ensuring double-digit economic growth.

The Prime Minister telegraphs: Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies; State Steering Committee on Tourism ; Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

The telegram stated that in recent times, on the basis of closely following the direction of the Politburo on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector (Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW dated January 16, 2017), the Government and the Prime Minister have issued many instructions on tourism development with the motto "Unique products - Professional services - Convenient and simple procedures - Competitive prices - Clean and beautiful environment - Safe, civilized and friendly destinations", up to now, Vietnam's tourism has basically recovered after the COVID-19 pandemic, achieved impressive growth results, becoming a bright spot in the overall socio-economic development of the country.

In 2024, international tourists to Vietnam will reach 17.6 million, up 39%; domestic tourists will reach 110 million, up 1.6%; total revenue from tourists will reach about 840 trillion VND, up 24% over the same period in 2023.

In the first 3 months of 2025, the number of international visitors to Vietnam reached over 6 million, the highest ever, an increase of 29.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024, contributing to affirming the position and attractiveness of Vietnam tourism.

Proactively implement the Tourism Development Stimulus Program

In 2025, to accelerate tourism development, successfully achieve the goal of welcoming 22-23 million international visitors, serving 130 million domestic visitors, total tourism revenue growing by 12-13% compared to 2024, creating a driving force for the development of other industries and fields, actively and effectively contributing to the implementation of the economic growth target of 8% or more, contributing to accelerating, breaking through, creating momentum, creating momentum, creating force for double-digit growth in the next stages, bringing the country to develop rapidly and sustainably in the new era, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote tourism promotion, proactively implement the Tourism Development Stimulus Program in 2025 and the following years.

Proactively innovate methods and content, increase the application of modern technology, ensure unified, professional and effective implementation of tourism promotion work domestically and internationally; build and position the national tourism brand associated with a dominant, unique image, imbued with national cultural identity.

Combining the use of State resources and effectively mobilizing the participation of the whole society in tourism promotion activities.

International visitors experience sketching services on Nguyen Van Binh book street, a famous tourist destination in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: Nguyen Hang/VNA)

Promoting the role of the media, creating breakthroughs in domestic market promotion activities, combined with raising awareness of the role and position of the tourism industry.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enhance the role and responsibility of representative agencies abroad in promoting and advertising tourism; encourage tourism businesses to set up representative offices abroad; promote the role of the overseas Vietnamese community in tourism promotion activities; and report to the Prime Minister on implementation results in May 2025.

Preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries, branches and localities to improve the effectiveness of linking the development and implementation of tourism stimulus programs associated with specific product, service and business packages, ensuring increased attraction of international and domestic tourists; to be completed by May 2025.

Diversify and improve the quality of tourism products and services

Increase the attraction of social resources to invest in developing the tourism infrastructure system. Encourage strategic investors who are responsible for the investment environment to form complex tourism service areas, national tourism areas, large-scale tourism service projects, high-quality shopping and entertainment centers in key areas.

Developing popular types of products and services such as: health tourism, agricultural tourism, eco-tourism, resorts, honeymoons, golf tourism...

Strengthen advocacy and hosting of international events to promote convention, exhibition and conference (MICE) tourism. Organize unique national and international cultural and artistic tourism events associated with the entertainment industry to create a “buzz” to attract and appeal to a large number of domestic and foreign tourists.

Strengthening linkages to effectively promote the strengths, distinct advantages, and outstanding features of each locality and region in developing typical tourism products; strengthening product connections with the market, focusing on increasing the brand value of tourism products. Promoting the development of tourism services and tourism consumption associated with "on-site export" of cultural, agricultural, and industrial products in which Vietnam has strengths.

Accelerating digital transformation and green transformation in tourism development

Applying digital technology, green and clean technology in tourism business; developing smart tourism; promoting, advertising, building brands and managing tourism resources. Developing smart tourism ecosystem; applying digital technology to connect to support and enhance the experience for tourists.

Encourage investors and businesses to invest in responsible tourism in the direction of green and sustainable investment, creating green tourism products and services to promote the trend of green tourism consumption.

Develop diverse types of tourism in the direction of green growth such as eco-tourism, agricultural eco-tourism, community tourism, discovery tourism, experience of natural and cultural heritage values, resort and health care; report implementation results in May 2025.

In coordination with the Ministry of Finance, the State Bank of Vietnam widely applies technology in tourism service payments towards minimizing cash payments; guides and encourages tourists to use electronic payment methods on smart devices. Create favorable conditions for tourists to access tourist destinations.

Coordinate with the Ministry of Construction and relevant agencies and localities to strengthen the direction of connecting domestic and international aviation, railway, road, waterway and sea routes, report to the Prime Minister on the implementation results before June 2025; promote investment attraction to upgrade and expand airports, seaports and terminals serving domestic and foreign tourists, especially in key localities welcoming tourists through public-private partnership or socialization.

Tourists visit Tra Su cajuput forest, Tinh Bien town, An Giang. (Photo: Thanh Sang/VNA)

Preside over and coordinate with the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to enhance connectivity capacity and convenient services to access tourist destinations with tourist reception centers; report implementation results in August 2025.

Take the lead and coordinate with localities to strengthen destination management, control capacity at tourist areas and destinations and protect the tourism environment; step up inspection and control of tourism service quality and destination environment, strictly handle violations to create a synchronous, safe, civilized and friendly tourism environment.

The Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to their assigned functions, tasks, and authority, shall preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to study and specifically propose the application of convenient and flexible visa policies for tourists such as: visa exemption (including short-term visa exemption policy), improve visa approval procedures for tourists entering Vietnam under tourism stimulus programs or participating in cultural diplomacy events at the invitation of Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, and agencies under the Government; report to the Prime Minister in April 2025.

Propose specific preferential visa policies for specific subjects

Propose specific preferential visa policies for special subjects such as researchers, artists, world-famous athletes, experts, scientists, investors, billionaires entering Vietnam for tourism purposes, implementing tasks and projects on international integration, research cooperation, investment in science and technology development, innovation according to Resolution 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation and Resolution 59-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2025 on international integration in the new situation; report to the Prime Minister in April 2025.

Research and propose open and favorable policies to promote tourism development in border areas; report to the Prime Minister in April 2025.

Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities shall proactively develop specific local action plans to carry out the tasks assigned in the Official Dispatch in their localities in accordance with local practical conditions; to be completed before April 15, 2025.

The beauty of the people and the landscape here is also a point of attraction for tourists to Ha Giang. (Photo: Khanh Hoa/VNA)

Take full responsibility, strengthen comprehensive state management of tourism, manage tourist destinations in the area; promote propaganda on civilized tourism behavior in tourist areas and spots, ensure security and order, environmental sanitation, food safety, list prices and sell at the right price, prevent stalking and scamming tourists; establish and publicize a multilingual hotline to receive and handle tourists' feedback, promptly check, detect, prevent and strictly handle violations of the law in the tourism sector. Restaurants must accept electronic payments initiated from cash registers, otherwise their licenses will be revoked or their business will be banned.

Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities are fully responsible to the Prime Minister for seriously and effectively implementing the tasks assigned in this Official Dispatch.

Timely report to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the field before April 30, 2025 on proposals from localities, ministries and branches that have not been considered and resolved by ministries and agencies to promptly direct and urge resolution according to authority and regulations of law.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assigned Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh to directly direct, inspect, urge and handle arising issues within his authority; in case of exceeding authority, report to the Prime Minister.

The Government Office, according to its assigned functions and tasks, shall proactively and regularly monitor, urge and inspect ministries and agencies in performing the tasks assigned by the Prime Minister in this Official Dispatch./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/thuc-day-phat-trien-du-lich-bao-dam-thuc-hien-toc-do-tang-truong-hai-con-so-post1026868.vnp