Vietnam eyes 50 million foreign tourists by 2030
Vietnam aims to attract 45-50 million international visitors and generate USD 80-90 billion in tourism revenue by 2030 under a government action programme to make tourism a spearhead economic sector, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing VNA.
The programme, designed to implement Politburo Resolution 26-NQ/TW of August 22, 2026, calls for a shift from tourism focused mainly on visitor numbers and natural resources towards quality, efficiency, sustainability and higher added value. Tourism is expected to contribute 10-12% of GDP by 2030, with Vietnam seeking a place among the top three Southeast Asian countries in tourism scale and growth rate.
The government will prioritise high-spending visitors and longer stays, while expanding cultural tourism, developing large-scale service complexes and promoting internationally competitive cultural-tourism value chains. It also plans to promote marine and island tourism, river and coastal waterway tourism, medical and wellness tourism, and culinary tourism, while strengthening the global brand of Vietnamese cuisine.
A National Tourism Promotion Programme for 2026-2035 will connect tourism promotion with cultural diplomacy, cuisine, cinema, performing arts, sports, festivals and major international events. Vietnam will also expand its presence on digital platforms and new media and integrate tourism promotion into trade fairs, exhibitions and overseas activities of Vietnamese trade offices.
An initiative to elevate the national tourism brand through 2035 aims to position Vietnam as a high-quality, safe and leading Asian destination for heritage, cuisine, beach resorts, culture and Vietnamese lifestyles. A network of digital tourism ambassadors will be developed in key target markets.
The programme also calls for a nationwide effort to create a civilised, safe, friendly and professional tourism environment, with citizens, organisations and communities encouraged to protect natural resources, preserve cultural identities and promote civilised conduct towards visitors.
Tourism governance will be modernised through digitalisation, science and technology, green tourism, the circular economy and climate change adaptation. Vietnam plans to develop smart tourism destination indicators and a smart tourism operation centre, while promoting green destinations, electric vehicles and buses, smart energy management, environmentally friendly materials and circular-economy models.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that China had added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam to its 240-hour visa-free transit programme, bringing the total number of countries eligible for the policy to 57.
