Vietnam tourism aims for sustainable growth, boosts international promotion in 2026
WVR - In 2025, Vietnam's tourism marked a record growth milestone by welcoming over 21 million international visitors, 137 million domestic tourists, with total tourism revenue estimated at around 1 trillion VND.
Latest
On January 10, the Vietnam Tourism Association held a conference to implement the 2026 action plan, summarizing activities in 2025 and setting directions and tasks for the upcoming year.
 |
| Welcoming international guests to Phu Quoc during the ceremony for the 20 millionth international visitor to Vietnam. (Photo: Cong Dat) |
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Ho An Phong stated that recent tourism growth clearly reflects positive changes in the structure and quality of tourists, with the "zero-dollar tour" phenomenon significantly reduced.
According to Deputy Minister Ho An Phong, Vietnam's international tourist market is increasingly diverse, no longer reliant on a few traditional markets.
In addition to major markets like China, South Korea, and Japan, the influx of tourists from India has seen impressive growth, reaching 150%. Tourism promotion and advertising efforts have also been revamped, particularly by integrating tourism promotion with cinema in markets such as India and the USA, yielding positive widespread effects.
Many localities have proactively sought creative approaches in tourism development, enriching products and enhancing the appeal of Vietnam as a destination.
According to Deputy Minister Ho An Phong, Vietnam is not developing tourism at all costs but is aiming for healthy, sustainable growth, based on abundant resources and significant potential. Comprehensive infrastructure investment along with increasingly liberal visa policies are providing additional momentum for Vietnam's tourism in the coming phase.
Praising the role of the Vietnam Tourism Association, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong noted that the Association has made significant contributions in promoting and advancing tourism and participating in policy development, helping to create a favorable environment for businesses and the tourism industry to thrive.
Reports at the conference showed that in 2025, the Vietnam Tourism Association successfully organized numerous major activities and events such as the VITM Hanoi 2025 International Tourism Fair, the first Vietnam Travel Day, various festivals, tourism fairs, and a series of programs to survey and develop new tourism products in many localities.
For 2026, the Vietnam Tourism Association plans to continue closely coordinating with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to implement key resolutions and directives from the Party and Government on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector. The focus is on enhancing international market promotion, supporting businesses in overcoming challenges, and developing tourism products towards green and sustainable growth.
According to the plan, in 2026, the Association will organize numerous large-scale events such as the Vietnam International Tourism Fair – VITM Hanoi 2026 with the theme “Digital Transformation and Green Growth – Elevating Vietnam Tourism”; the MICE EXPO 2026; Vietnam Travel Day 2026 along with various tourism and culinary fairs and festivals across the country.
Simultaneously, local tourism associations will continue to coordinate in organizing promotional activities, surveys, workforce training, and developing new products to meet the increasingly diverse needs of domestic and international tourists, laying the foundation for sustainable development of Vietnam's tourism in the new phase.
