Stepping into 2026, the tourism industry sets ambitious goals: welcoming 25 million international visitors, serving 150 million domestic visitors, total tourism revenue reaching about 1.125 million billion VND.
These indicators not only reflect the aspiration for recovery and acceleration but also set an urgent requirement for growth quality, instead of just chasing quantity.
Vietnam has many fundamental advantages that not every country possesses. A peaceful, stable country, diverse nature, beautiful landscapes, rich cultural and historical heritage, friendly and gentle people.
From urban to rural areas, from mountainous to island areas, tourists can confidently experience day and night, with a high level of safety. This is a priceless "soft asset" in the context of global tourism increasingly valuing security, experience and emotions.
However, the key problem of Vietnamese tourism today is no longer "having tourists or not", but how long to keep tourists and how much they spend.
An international tourist staying for 2-3 days, with limited spending, can hardly create sustainable added value for the economy.
Conversely, if you stay for a long time and use many high-quality services, tourism will truly become a truly key economic sector.
A noteworthy fact is that Vietnam has been chosen by international super-rich people as a destination for weddings, private events, and high-class resorts.
Ha Long, Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Nha Trang have welcomed these special tourist groups.
This is a segment with very high spending levels, requiring sophisticated, private, and international standard services, but the benefits it brings are enormous.
Localities with similar potential need to proactively market, prepare infrastructure, and upgrade services to participate in this value chain.
In addition, Vietnamese tourism needs to invest more strongly in "elite" products, from long-term resorts, green tourism, to in-depth experience tours for high-cost customers.
Maintaining the landscape, protecting heritage, ensuring order, safety, and civilized behavior with tourists is the best way to create a sustainable national brand.
Each tourist leaving Vietnam with a good impression will become a more effective "tourism ambassador" than any advertising campaign.
The increase in the number of international visitors is an important foundation, but only when Vietnamese tourism shifts from "frequent" to "elite", from quantitative growth to value increase, will the goal of becoming a key economic sector be truly solid.
