Vietnam's tourism industry has been proud of tens of millions of international visitors for many years. But in the global competition, quantity is not the only measure.
More importantly, how much value each tourist brings to the economy.
Therefore, continuously welcoming million-dollar weddings of the international super-rich is not only a beautiful story of the tourism industry but also opens up a direction that needs to be invested in methodically.
In just over four months of 2026, Quang Ninh has organized six weddings of wealthy families from India, each event costing millions of USD, lasting many days and mobilizing a series of service businesses to participate.
This shows that Vietnam has begun to appear on the world's wedding tourism map, competing with Bali, Phuket or Maldives.
A wedding of the super-rich is not just a few hours of ceremony, but a resort journey lasting from three to seven days with hundreds of guests using hotels, resorts, transportation, restaurants, golf courses, spas, shopping, sightseeing, entertainment and many other high-end services.
Such a group of tourists generates revenue equivalent to thousands of ordinary tourists.
That is the development direction that many countries have been pursuing for a long time, high-quality tourism, high revenue, high added value, instead of chasing statistics on the number of visitors.
Vietnam has Ha Long Bay, Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Sa Pa, thousands of kilometers of beautiful coastlines, a high-class resort system, famous cuisine and especially a stable and safe country.
These are all top criteria that the super-rich consider when choosing venues for important events.
However, to turn opportunities into a real economic sector, businesses cannot be allowed to swim on their own, but need a national strategy on wedding tourism and super-luxury tourism.
From convenient visa policies, flexible licensing procedures, international standard infrastructure, professional human resources to the "one-stop-shop" service ecosystem, every stage must be standardized.
Localities also need to position their own products, Quang Ninh with natural heritage, Da Nang with sea resorts, Phu Quoc as a "wedding island", Hanoi, Hue exploiting the depth of culture and urban heritage.
A million-dollar wedding lasting a few days can generate revenue for dozens of businesses, create jobs for hundreds of workers and spread the image of Vietnam to millions of people through international media.
That is the smart way of doing tourism, attracting the right segment, selling value instead of selling quantity.
