As Việt Nam looks ahead to 2026, its tourism sector has set ambitious targets: welcoming around 25 million international visitors, serving 150 million domestic travelers and generating total revenue of approximately VNĐ1.12 quadrillion (US$43 billion). These goals reflect the Government’s determination to position tourism as a spearhead sector of the national economy, driven by sustainability, innovation and quality growth.
Against a backdrop of intensifying global competition, mounting environmental pressures and a rising preference for responsible travel, Viet Nam’s tourism industry is reaffirming its commitment to a green development pathway. The sector is prioritizing service quality enhancement, workforce training and more strategic market promotion to fuel the next phase of expansion.
Industry leaders noted that the sector’s impressive 21 per cent growth in 2025 carried broad significance. It not only demonstrated strong resilience and post-pandemic recovery but also reinforced Viet Nam’s growing competitiveness on the global tourism map. This momentum is particularly notable amid ongoing global uncertainties marked by geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures and uneven tourism recovery worldwide.
Clearing bottlenecks and unlocking growth
The tourism surge in 2025 was driven in large part by the introduction of breakthrough mechanisms and supportive policies, most notably continued improvements in visa facilitation. Beyond expanding unilateral visa exemptions and implementing e-visas for citizens of all countries and territories, authorities also extended the permitted length of stay for international visitors. These timely measures have significantly enhanced Viet Nam’s attractiveness and competitiveness as a destination.
In parallel, the Government rolled out a range of support policies for tourism businesses, including reductions in appraisal fees for travel business licenses, the application of electricity tariffs for tourism accommodation equivalent to those for the manufacturing sector, and streamlined administrative procedures. These initiatives have helped enterprises recover more quickly, scale up operations and improve service quality.
Tourism promotion and marketing also underwent a notable transformation, with a more professional, targeted approach that closely integrates culture, the arts, cinema and digital media. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism intensified promotional campaigns in key markets such as Europe, the United States, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India and Australia, while maintaining a strong presence at major global tourism fairs including ITB Berlin and WTM London.
Digital outreach gained further traction, with the official tourism portal, vietnam.travel, ranking second in Southeast Asia. At the same time, product development was aligned with emerging trends, including night-time tourism, wellness tourism, rural tourism, golf tourism and culinary tourism, all aimed at enriching visitor experiences, extending length of stay and increasing visitor spending.
As a result, in 2025 Việt Nam’s tourism sector reached a historic milestone, serving approximately 135.5 million domestic tourists and welcoming nearly 21.2 million international arrivals—an increase of more than 20 per cent year-on-year and well above pre-COVID-19 levels. Total tourism revenue exceeded VNĐ1 quadrillion (around US$38 billion).
With national GDP expanding by 8.02 per cent in 2025, the service sector emerged as a major growth engine, contributing more than half of overall economic expansion, with tourism identified as a key driver.
Building a core ecosystem of sustainable products
Looking ahead, the focus for 2026 will be on consolidating growth through a diversified, high-quality and sustainable tourism product ecosystem. According to Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism, priority product lines will include cultural tourism, nature-based tourism, marine and island tourism, and urban sightseeing.
Alongside these traditional offerings, localities and businesses are accelerating investment in creative, smart and green tourism products. These include volunteer tourism, environmental protection tours, film-set experiences, agricultural and rural tourism, street music and cultural activities, educational tourism linked to military experiences, as well as the application of virtual reality and automated guiding systems.
To sustain growth momentum, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has directed greater efforts towards developing tourism products linked to cultural industries, while coordinating with the Ministry of Health to build medical and healthcare tourism offerings.
At the same time, Viet Nam is studying and developing new premium products aimed at higher-spending market segments, including specialized offerings tailored to Muslim travelers. Together, these initiatives underscore the sector’s long-term vision: a greener, more inclusive and more competitive tourism industry that supports sustainable economic growth well beyond 2026
