The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and Mastercard announced on May 8 a memorandum of understanding covering the 2026-2030 period aimed at promoting tourism development and enhancing services for travellers.
Speaking at the event, Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, said tourism was no longer limited to accommodation, sightseeing or leisure services alone.
“Tourism today must provide visitors with a convenient, comprehensive, safe and personalised experience throughout their journeys,” Khanh said.
Nguyen Trung Khanh, director general of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, speaks at the event (Photo: Organising committee).
He added that the sector needed to apply technology, utilise data and build a smart, highly connected tourism ecosystem.
“The cooperation between the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and Mastercard is aligned with Vietnam’s tourism development strategy in the coming years, demonstrating the importance of public private partnerships in mobilising resources, technology and international expertise for sustainable tourism growth,” he said.
David Mann, Mastercard’s chief economist for Asia Pacific, said Vietnam had emerged as one of the region’s strongest tourism recovery stories following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Visitor arrivals from China in April exceeded 2019 levels, while the South Korean market had also recovered strongly, he said. Tourist numbers from the United States were even higher than before the pandemic.
The number of flights to Vietnam has continued rising in 2026, reflecting growing demand for short haul and regional travel amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, according to Mann.
“The most important question is how long the current situation in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will last,” he said.
“However, we still see strong travel demand from tourists. Vietnam is in a very favourable position to benefit from the tourism growth wave across the region.”
Visitors from China experience a cable car in Phu Quoc (Photo: DY).
Focus on higher quality tourists
Sharad Jain, Mastercard’s country manager for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, said the company’s cooperation with Vietnam aimed to attract higher spending visitors while increasing their contribution to GDP and annual economic growth.
“We work with retail, food and beverage and restaurant partners because once tourists arrive in Vietnam, we want them to spend money with local businesses. That is the goal of promoting the tourism economy,” Jain said.
Under the partnership, Mastercard will help identify markets capable of delivering higher quality tourists while analysing spending signals, travel trends and consumer sentiment.
The company also aims to position Vietnam as a “must visit” destination for global travellers.
Jain said no tourism strategy could succeed without ensuring a seamless visitor experience. Mastercard and its partners are therefore planning to develop a digital tourism ecosystem, including a tourism “super app” and integrated payment applications.
“We will jointly develop platforms to simplify the entire travel journey,” he said.
The partnership will focus on six key pillars, including promoting Vietnam as an attractive destination, multi channel communications and marketing, technology and digital transformation, workshops and knowledge exchange, training and capacity building, as well as market intelligence and data analysis.
Vietnam’s tourism industry has posted record international visitor growth in recent months.
Official data showed Vietnam welcomed 8.8 million foreign arrivals in the first four months of the year, up 14.6 per cent year on year and equivalent to 35 per cent of the country’s annual target.
In 2025, Vietnam welcomed a record 21 million international visitors, up 20 per cent compared with 2024. Total tourism revenue reached VND 1 quadrillion (approximately USD 38.5 billion).
For 2026, Vietnam aims to attract 25 million international visitors, serve 150 million domestic travellers and generate tourism revenue exceeding VND 1.1 quadrillion (approximately USD 42.4 billion).
