“Vietnam’s Tourism Ambitions: Welcoming the World with Open Arms”

Ascending to the League of Globally Renowned Tourism Destinations

As per the strategic plan, Vietnam aspires to establish itself as a captivating destination with a robust tourism development capacity on par with leading global destinations by 2025.

By 2030, the nation’s tourism sector is envisioned to emerge as a pivotal economic driver, embracing green growth principles, and attaining a preeminent position in the world tourism landscape.

A group of international tourists exploring Luon Cave in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh, during their trip to Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Hung

To materialize this vision, Vietnam is committed to attracting 25-28 million international visitors and 130 million domestic tourists by 2025, sustaining an impressive annual growth rate of 8-9% in domestic tourism. Looking ahead to 2030, the nation sets its sights on welcoming 35 million international tourists, reflecting a remarkable annual growth rate of 13-15%, alongside 160 million domestic tourists, growing at a rate of 4-5% per year.

In terms of economic contribution, Vietnam is poised to achieve an impressive direct contribution to GDP of 8-9% by 2025. This contribution is further projected to increase to 13-14% of GDP by 2030.

Addressing the need for accommodation, Vietnam is on track to offer approximately 1.3 million rooms by 2025, with the potential to expand to 2 million rooms by 2023.

The planning underscores the creation of roughly 6.3 million jobs by 2025, of which about 2.1 million are direct employment opportunities. By 2030, the tourism sector is expected to generate approximately 10.5 million jobs, including about 3.5 million direct jobs.

Fast-forward to 2045, and Vietnam’s tourism sector is envisioned to assume a pivotal role in the national economy, propelling the nation to the forefront of tourism development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Vietnam ambitiously aims to attract 70 million international visitors, generating a staggering revenue of approximately 7,300 trillion VND, contributing a substantial 17-18% to the nation’s GDP. Additionally, the country is resolute in its efforts to restore and sustain the growth trajectory of the domestic tourism market during the period spanning 2021-2025.

From 2026 to 2030, Vietnam is poised to maintain and expand its presence in traditional markets, including Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, Russia and Eastern Europe, and Oceania. This expansion will be strategically directed towards increasing the market share of high-paying customers.

Forging 8 Dynamic Regions to Propel Tourism Development

In terms of product development orientation, the scheme leverages marine and island tourism resources to craft competitive products that rival those of regional countries in the realm of marine and ecological resorts. Additionally, there is a focused effort to establish high-end beach resort centers that garner strong brand recognition in the international market.

By 2030, Vietnam envisions the formation of 6 dynamic regions to drive tourism development.

The first region, comprising Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, and Ninh Binh, serves as a catalyst for tourism in the Red River Delta and the entire Northern region. This area showcases a diverse array of historical and cultural attractions, with interconnected and mutually supportive tourism products.

The second dynamic region, encompassing Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh, facilitates the amalgamation of diverse tourism offerings. This includes ecological wonders, world heritage sites, cultural and historical attractions, and community-based tourism experiences associated with ethnic minorities in the mountainous regions.

The third driving force area, spanning Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, and Quang Nam, propels tourism development in the North Central and Central Coast regions. This region seamlessly connects domestic and international world heritage sites, seamlessly blending cultural tourism products with urban attractions and beach resorts.

Cruise tourists arriving at Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. (Photo: VNA)

The fourth region, consisting of Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan, fosters tourism development by fortifying the connection between the North Central and Central Coast regions with the Central Highlands. This region seamlessly blends mountain resort tourism with sea resorts, intertwining delta culture with the unique gong cultural space of the Central Highlands.

The fifth dynamic region, comprising Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, assumes a pivotal role in propelling tourism growth in the entire Southeast region. This area strategically links tourism development with the Southern economic corridor.

The sixth driving force area, encompassing Can Tho, Kien Giang, and Ca Mau, concentrates on invigorating tourism in the entire Mekong Delta region. This region integrates tourism development with the coastal economic corridor, harnessing the unique cultural and natural attributes of the region.

Post-2030, two additional dynamic regions will emerge to further bolster Vietnam’s tourism landscape.

The Lao Cai – Ha Giang tourism development area will promote tourism in the Northern Midlands and mountainous regions, establishing a connection with the Yunnan tourist market in China and capitalizing on the Kunming – Hanoi – Hai Phong economic corridor.

The Hoa Binh – Son La – Dien Bien driving force area for tourism development will catalyze tourism growth in the Northwest sub-region of the Northern Midlands and mountainous areas. This region will leverage the East-West economic corridor along National Highway 6 to create captivating tourism offerings.