Vietnam's Tourism Sector Poised as New Growth Driver

Vietnam's tourism industry welcomed an estimated 6.5 million tourists during the five-day National Day holiday from August 29 to September 2, marking an 18.1% year-on-year increase and highlighting the sector's growing importance to the nation's economy. As travelers increasingly seek authentic local experiences, Vietnam is stepping up efforts to integrate diverse elements into its tourism offerings. The central coastal city of Da Nang, for instance, is enhancing its tourism itineraries by incorporating culinary promotion, linking it with destination branding and cultural preservation. This reflects a broader shift in the market, where visitors desire deeper engagement with local life, culture, and nature, as well as small-group and personalized trips with limited environmental impact and clear benefits for communities. The southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City reported welcoming approximately 1.65 million domestic visitors and 62,000 foreign tourists during the holiday break. In Hanoi, tourism events are increasingly designed to encourage exploration beyond individual festivals. The Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival, for example, offers visitors opportunities to engage in handicraft making with local artisans, explore destinations through virtual reality, and discover new tours and tourism stimulus programs. Recognizing tourism as a "spearhead economic sector," the Vietnamese government is committed to rapid and sustainable growth. Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra stressed that in the new development era, with the need for rapid and sustainable growth and a stronger national position, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) should be positioned as a strategic tourism product, targeting high-quality visitors while generating additional momentum for trade and investment and enhancing national competitiveness. To address challenges like seasonality, many destinations are focusing on developing year-round tourism products. Areas with unique ecological value, such as the U Minh Ha wetland in the Mekong Delta, a priority wetland for conservation, are being promoted for ecotourism and environmental education, balancing conservation with visitor engagement. The upgraded Lien Khuong Airport is also expected to provide a significant advantage for destinations like Da Lat, facilitating access to promising international markets including South Korea, Malaysia, India, Taiwan, Singapore, and Russia. Vietnam also shows potential in medical tourism, with an estimated 300,000 international visitors annually utilizing medical services, generating an estimated $1-2 billion USD in spending on treatment, accommodation, transport, and food. This sector could see further expansion with continued investment in healthcare infrastructure and services. Regional cooperation, particularly within the CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam) bloc, is also yielding positive results. In 2025, these countries collectively welcomed 32.3 million international visitors, up 9.6% from 2024, generating approximately $45.8 billion USD in tourism revenue. The ACMECS (Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy) joint action plan for 2026–2028 focuses on five key pillars: improving connectivity and facilitating travel; promoting digital transformation and smart tourism; developing ecotourism, community-based and cultural tourism; enhancing tourism security and safety; and developing human resources. These initiatives collectively aim to solidify Vietnam's tourism industry as a true new growth driver, catering to the modern traveler's demand for authentic connections with local culture and nature, and paving the way for sustainable and high-quality tourism development. Resolution 26-NQ/TW is seen as an important milestone, opening up new orientations and development opportunities for Vietnam’s tourism sector. The implementation of joint action programmes has delivered positive results, and the newly adopted joint action plan on ACMECS tourism cooperation for 2026–2028 aims at realizing the “One Journey, Three Destinations” initiative, sharpening competitiveness and developing cross-border tourism products.