The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has unveiled a development strategy designed to support sustained economic growth while improving the quality of tourism revenue.
The plan focuses not only on increasing visitor numbers but also on expanding source markets, extending average stays, boosting spending and developing more attractive tourism products.
For 2026, the ministry has outlined two growth scenarios.
Under the optimistic scenario, assuming continued strong growth and easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Vietnam aims to welcome 27 million international visitors and 153 million domestic travellers.
China has been identified as a priority market, while authorities also plan to maintain strong growth from South Korea and India, revive arrivals from Russia and sustain momentum in long-haul markets such as Western Europe and North America.
Neighbouring Southeast Asian markets are expected to contribute additional visitors through air, land and sea transport links. The tourism sector is also developing measures to reduce seasonal fluctuations in international arrivals.
Under the more conservative scenario, Vietnam would receive 23.2 million international visitors and 148 million domestic travellers in 2026.
In this scenario, the industry would focus primarily on Northeast Asian and Southeast Asian markets, with China and South Korea remaining key growth drivers. Vietnam would also strengthen its image as a safe, welcoming and competitively priced destination to support the recovery of markets in Western Europe, North America, Russia and India.
For the 2027-2030 period, Vietnam aims to attract between 45 million and 50 million international visitors annually by the end of the decade.
Under the high-growth scenario, international arrivals are projected to increase by 15-18 per cent each year, rising from around 30 million in 2027 to 50 million by 2030.
The strategy places greater emphasis on attracting high-spending visitors who stay longer, with the goal of generating USD 80-90 billion in tourism revenue and increasing tourism's direct contribution to 10-12 per cent of GDP by 2030.
To achieve these targets, authorities plan to expand visa policies, strengthen aviation partnerships, open additional international routes and launch nationwide tourism promotion campaigns.
Domestic tourism will continue to serve as a major growth engine, supported by short-break travel packages and flexible pricing initiatives.
Priority products include domestic tourism, short-stay holidays, MICE tourism, luxury resorts, wellness travel, cultural and local-experience tourism, as well as expanded night-time tourism offerings.
In the medium term, the industry aims to increase visitor spending, lengthen average stays, raise the proportion of repeat international visitors and reduce seasonal dependence.
Over the longer term, Vietnam intends to reposition tourism beyond simply attracting visitors, focusing instead on higher-value segments such as MICE tourism, wellness travel, golf tourism, sports tourism, community-based tourism and rural tourism linked to the country's One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme.