Vietnam Tourism Charts New Course for Quality Growth, Aiming for Economic Pillar Status

Vietnam has set ambitious goals to develop its tourism industry into a key pillar of national economic growth. Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW, issued by the Politburo on August 22, 2026, designates tourism as a "leading economic sector in the new era." The resolution aims to foster a high-quality, smart, green, innovative, and culturally rich tourism sector with significant added value, thereby enhancing regional and international competitiveness and creating strong spillover effects for other industries. Resolution 26 targets tourism to directly contribute 10-12% to GDP by 2030, attracting 45-50 million international visitors and serving 160 million domestic tourists, with total tourism revenue reaching USD 80-90 billion. It also outlines a long-term vision to position Vietnam among the top 30 countries in global tourism competitiveness by 2045. The strategy emphasizes a shift from merely counting tourist arrivals to measuring added value and actual spending. It also focuses on transitioning from raw resource exploitation to a creative and experiential economy, and from administrative linkages to integrated value chains. This transformation is expected to make tourism a "new growth engine." Experts view Resolution 26 as a strategic "catalyst" for redefining the tourism sector's position. Notably, tourism is being reframed not just as sightseeing, accommodation, or leisure, but as a comprehensive economic ecosystem capable of driving transportation, commerce, cultural industries, the digital economy, and the night economy. Furthermore, state support for tourism risk insurance and pilot mechanisms for urgent issues indicate a more proactive and flexible policy approach, creating room for innovation and addressing practical bottlenecks. Vietnam possesses abundant natural resources and cultural heritage, with significant potential to build a regional and global tourism industry. Future success hinges on the collective will, determination, and action of its people. The development of tourism aims not only to attract visitors but also to extend their stays, increase their spending, and encourage repeat visits. This requires building an ecosystem where the government, local authorities, airlines, travel agencies, destinations, service providers, technology firms, and local communities collaborate. The government is expected to focus on removing institutional, infrastructural, and resource bottlenecks, while businesses will lead in innovation, investment in high-quality sustainable products, and digitalization. Residents are to participate as service providers, cultural and environmental preservers, and direct beneficiaries of tourism. Enhancing tourism quality necessitates collaboration with numerous sectors beyond the direct purview of the tourism ministry, including visas, transportation, land, taxation, environment, healthcare, and education. Tourists seek a unified experience, making inter-ministerial coordination at the national level crucial. Achieving each objective requires clear responsibilities, deadlines, adequate budgets, cooperative mechanisms, or financial tools. Performance evaluation should go beyond visitor numbers and total revenue to include per capita spending, length of stay, repeat visitor rates, job quality, satisfaction levels, and environmental impact. To develop a workforce with the required expertise, language skills, technological proficiency, and international integration capabilities as mandated by Resolution 26, it is essential to narrow the gap between educational institutions and the industry. Source: Nhan Dan