Politburo sets sights on making tourism key economic pillar

Under Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW, recently signed by General Secretary and President To Lam, Viet Nam aims to transform tourism into a key economic sector, with the industry expected to contribute 10-12 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.

The Party leader calls for the development of high-quality, smart, green and innovative tourism that is deeply rooted in national cultural identity and competitive both regiopnally and internationally.

The resolution highlighted tourism's role in generating stronger spillover effects across the economy, contributing to growth, innovation, cultural industries and national soft power while promoting sustainable development.

Ambitious targets

By 2030, Viet Nam aims to become one of Southeast Asia's leading tourism destinations in terms of scale and growth, attracting 45-50 million international visitors and serving 160 million domestic tourists.

The sector is expected to generate total tourism receipts of US$80-90 billion, with priority given to attracting visitors who spend more and stay longer.

The country plans to develop three major tourism growth poles in Ha Noi, HCM City and Da Nang, together with 10 key tourism centers and 20 national tourism areas.

The resolution sets a target of approximately 1.5 million tourist accommodation rooms and an industry workforce of around 2.3 million direct employees and 3.5 million indirect workers.

Viet Nam will also establish a national smart tourism ecosystem, including a national tourism database and a national digital tourism platform.

By 2045, tourism is expected to contribute 14-15 per cent of GDP, while Viet Nam aims to rank among the world's 30 most competitive tourism economies and welcome 70 million international visitors.

From quantity to value

A major policy shift is the move away from a tourism model that primarily focuses on increasing visitor numbers and exploiting resources towards one centered on quality, efficiency, higher added value and distinctive visitor experiences.

The resolution calls for a transition from conventional administrative management to management of an integrated tourism service ecosystem. Tourism development is also to be closely integrated with economic, cultural, environmental, national defense and security, and international integration strategies.

Policies will support emerging tourism-related models, including the sharing economy, digital-platform businesses, the night-time economy, riverfront and coastal economies, and integrated tourism, cultural, sports and entertainment complexes.

The resolution also calls for research into a value-added tax refund mechanism to encourage shopping tourism, as well as regulations governing cross-border online tourism platforms.

Public-private partnerships are to be expanded in the preservation, management and sustainable exploitation of destinations of special value. Strategic investors will be encouraged to participate in tourism infrastructure and major tourism projects.

Visa and entry policies are to be further reformed, including broader visa exemptions and more flexible arrangements for key markets, in order to attract higher-spending and longer-staying visitors.

Financial resources for tourism development will also be strengthened through the tourism development support fund, investment funds, credit guarantees and preferential loans, including interest-rate support for green and sustainable tourism projects.

Infrastructure and diversified products

The resolution places strong emphasis on developing multimodal transport infrastructure connecting international gateways with major economic regions, tourism centers and national tourism areas.

Priority will be given to aviation, railways, inland waterways, seaports and marinas, as well as convention and exhibition centers, cultural facilities and digital infrastructure.

Viet Nam will improve its capacity to receive large cruise ships and encourage the development of large-scale resorts and integrated tourism, cultural, sports, entertainment and shopping complexes.

Ha Noi, HCM City, Da Nang, heritage cities and Phu Quoc island are identified as important tourism growth poles and centers.

The country will diversify tourism products, prioritizing cultural tourism associated with cultural industries, heritage and the night-time economy; marine and island tourism; mountain and forest ecotourism; waterway and high-end rail tourism; medical and wellness tourism; sports tourism; meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE); shopping; cuisine; and community-based tourism.

Localities are encouraged to develop distinctive tourism products while strengthening links among travel agencies, transport operators, accommodation providers and other service businesses.

Such linkages are expected to increase domestic value creation and enable Vietnamese tourism enterprises to participate more deeply in global tourism value chains.

Digital and green transformation

Tourism promotion will be coordinated at the national level and closely linked with Viet Nam's national image, culture, people and investment environment.

The resolution calls for stronger promotion in high-spending markets and the establishment of a network of digital tourism ambassadors. Big data and artificial intelligence (AI) will be used in tourism promotion and destination reputation management, while Vietnamese overseas missions will play a greater role in promoting the country's tourism.

Digital transformation is identified as a cross-cutting foundation for tourism development.

Key initiatives include a national tourism database, an integrated digital tourism platform, digitalized destinations, electronic ticketing, digital maps, virtual tourism assistants and data analytics systems.

Internet of Things technology and AI will be applied to energy and environmental management and the monitoring of destination carrying capacity.

Tourism management will increasingly rely on indicators such as service quality, visitor spending, length of stay, safety, environmental performance and visitor satisfaction, rather than visitor numbers alone.

The resolution also promotes greener tourism through wastewater and solid waste treatment, reduced plastic use, green transport, circular-economy models, and the preservation of cultural heritage and natural landscapes.

Early-warning and crisis-response systems will be strengthened to improve the sector's resilience to natural disasters, disease outbreaks and major regional and global disruptions.

Coordinated implementation

The Politburo resolution assigns implementation responsibilities across the political system.

The Party organization of the National Assembly is tasked with helping institutionalize the resolution's policies and reviewing relevant legislation.

The Party organization of the Government will promulgated an action program, strengthen the State Steering Committee on Tourism, and develop a national tourism promotion program and a system of indicators for measuring tourism quality, efficiency and sustainability.

Party organizations in provinces and centrally-governed cities are required to formulate their own implementation plans and ensure sufficient resources for tourism development.

Central agencies will be responsible for guiding, monitoring and assessing the implementation of the resolution.

So far,  tourism has become an increasingly important contributor to Viet Nam’s economy, generating both direct revenue and spillover effects for transport, accommodation, food services, retail and other sectors. 

During 2021–2025 period, tourism contributed an estimated 6–8 percent of GDP annually, while the sector recorded strong recovery and growth, with nearly 21.2 million international arrivals in 2025. 

 Under the Government’s tourism development strategy, the sector is expected to raise its direct contribution to GDP to around 13–14 percent by 2030, reinforcing its role as a spearhead economic sector./.