From pilgrimage at the beginning of the year to the economic ecosystem
The festival season is always the peak of spiritual tourism in localities, destinations such as Nui Ba National Tourist Area, Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang An - Tam Coc complex, Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son and Kiep Bac historical and scenic complex enter the festival season lasting for the first three months of the year.
Each pilgrim turn does not just stop at offering incense and worshiping. They use transportation, accommodation, food services, shopping for specialties, and participating in experiential tours. Around each destination, a multi-layered service ecosystem is formed, creating direct and indirect jobs for thousands of workers. According to estimates by tourism research agencies, for every 1 million visitors, it can create about 2,500 - 3,000 direct jobs and many times more indirect jobs. With cultural - spiritual tourist areas welcoming millions of visitors each year such as Yen Tu, Bai Dinh, Mieu Ba Chua Xu, it is possible to imagine the scale of livelihoods that this type brings.
Many localities have shifted their economic structure thanks to cultural and spiritual tourism. From purely agricultural production, people have switched to accommodation, transportation, food, souvenir sales, and tour guide services. More stable income, increased local job opportunities, and limited the situation of migrant workers. Cultural and spiritual tourism is therefore not just a story of "going to temples", but a story of local economic development.
Heritage platform: Long-term competitive advantage
According to data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, in the context of global tourism recovering strongly after the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam's tourism industry recorded a breakthrough growth in 2025 with 21.5 million international visitors, 135.5 million domestic visitors and total revenue from tourism exceeding the 1 million billion VND mark. These figures not only reflect a positive recovery trend but also show the great growth potential of the industry in the new period. On that basis, the 2026 target is set at a higher level, with the orientation of welcoming 25 million international visitors, serving 150 million domestic visitors and achieving total revenue of about 1,125 trillion VND. This is not only a purely quantitative growth target, but also sets requirements for product restructuring, improving service quality and increasing added value in the tourism supply chain. To realize this goal, Vietnamese tourism cannot continue to mainly rely on the advantages of natural landscapes. The factor creating sustainable competitiveness needs to be established on the foundation of cultural depth, historical identity and the unique spiritual value system of an Asian nation rich in traditions. In the strategic structure of industry development, cultural and spiritual tourism needs to be positioned as a key product, capable of building a national brand, increasing in-depth experiences for tourists, and contributing to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values.
Policy to pave the way: Culture is a source of development
Resolution 80-NQ/TW dated January 7, 2026 of the Politburo on the development of Vietnamese culture has affirmed an important shift in development thinking: Culture is not only a spiritual foundation but also an endogenous resource for rapid and sustainable growth. For the first time, culture is placed in a close relationship with the economy, market and cultural industries. Cultural products are seen as a component of the national brand and soft power.
Among the 8 key tasks and solutions mentioned in the Resolution, there is content to promote the development of the cultural industry, positioning national brand cultural products associated with cultural tourism. This poses the requirement to restructure the tourism industry in the direction of improving quality and increasing the cultural content in each product.
Spiritual tourism is therefore no longer a spontaneous activity during the festival season, but needs to be planned and invested methodically, associated with a long-term strategy for cultural and cultural industry development.
In modern society, work pressure, urbanization speed and a rush of life make the need to find inner balance increasingly large. Spiritual tourism meets the trend of "healing tourism", meditation, slow living - a trend that is increasing globally. For domestic tourists, going to temples at the beginning of the year is a long-standing cultural tradition, associated with the belief in worshiping ancestors, national heroes, saints, and Buddhas. For international tourists, this is an opportunity to explore the unique spiritual life of Vietnamese people. That spiritual value goes hand in hand with economic value. Many localities such as Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh, An Giang, Tay Ninh have formed models combining spiritual tourism with ecology, resorts, and cultural experiences. The length of stay is extended, spending is increased, and the value chain of services is expanded. Cultural and spiritual tourism, if developed sustainably, can become a tool to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty and narrow the development gap between regions.
However, besides the opportunities, there are also many challenges. The hot development of some destinations has led to infrastructure overload, traffic congestion, environmental pollution and excessive commercialization. Abusing spiritual elements for profit, organizing unstandard services, and "trading" tourists can reduce trust and affect the image of the destination. Especially, with UNESCO-recorded heritages, conservation requirements are increasingly strict. If developed uncontrollably, the risk of encroaching on sacred space and distorting cultural values is possible. Once damaged, heritage will be very difficult to restore. At that time, short-term economic benefits may be paid for in long-term losses.
Each spring always opens up a new beginning - the beginning of belief, of intention and of good wishes for the future. In the flow of people going to festivals at the beginning of the year, there are not only pilgrimage footsteps but also the rhythm of transformation of an economic sector associated with the depth of national culture. If guided by correct policies and effective management, cultural and spiritual tourism will not stop at spring trips that are ritualistic, but become the starting point for a sustainable development strategy of the nation. Spring trips are therefore not only a place to send wishes for peace from each individual, but also to arouse greater aspirations for a prosperous country built on a solid cultural foundation and an identity that is respectfully preserved.
