Vietnam’s tourism to become a spearhead economic sector

Vietnam’s tourism sector has grown rapidly over the past 15 years, but its potential has not been fully tapped to become a spearhead economic sector. 

In early 2017, the Politburo released a resolution to attract 20 million foreign tourists, serve 82 million Vietnamese tourists, and make tourism more than 10% of Vietnam’s GDP by 2020.

Key solutions

To achieve these targets, the Vietnamese government has promulgated a number of solutions including changing the mindset on tourism development. 

Nguyen Van Tuan, General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said, “Tourism involves different sectors and regions. Developing tourism is the task of the whole political system and society, with enterprises and the community playing an important role.”

The Politburo resolution on tourism development creates a “launch pad” for the hospitality sector. Vietnam’s tourism potential is ranked 24th out of 141 countries but its tourism competitiveness is ranked only 75th. 

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has responded to the resolution with a number of initiatives, said Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan.

He said, “We will finalize an action plan to realize by April and submit to the government. The plan will define necessary activities and specific tasks of ministries, sectors and localities.”

Optimistic signs

Vietnam’s tourist sector has seen positive signs so far this year. In January Vietnam received more than 1 million foreign tourists, 40% more than last year. In February, the figure increased to 1.2 million. 

The screening of the blockbuster “Kong-Skull island” in March, much of which was shot in Vietnam, has drawn the attention of international media and created an opportunity for Vietnamese tourism.

The film promotes Vietnam’s beautiful landscapes and inspires tourists to enjoy ecological, adventure, and cultural tours of Vietnam. 

Mr. Dinh Ngoc Duc, Director of the Marketing Department of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said, “Recent developments of the tourism sector reflect the joint efforts of relevant ministries and sector and the government’s direction and policies on attracting tourists and creating conditions for enterprises to boost tourism.”