Vietnam eyes fast-growing Halal tourism market

Vast potential remains largely untapped

In her remarks, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang said Halal tourism remains an underdeveloped segment despite Vietnam's strong overall tourism performance.

Vietnam welcomed around 21 million international visitors in 2025, but Muslim travellers accounted for just over 600,000 arrivals, representing nearly 3% of the total.

According to the deputy minister, the global Halal market is among the world's fastest-growing tourism segments, supported by a Muslim population of more than 2 billion people across over 100 countries and territories.

Demand continues to expand in both volume and spending, particularly from markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, India, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Middle Eastern countries.

Nguyen Phuong Tra, director of the Department of Middle East and Africa under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Vietnam should provide Muslim travellers with a seamless Halal experience throughout their journeys, beginning at the airport and continuing through accommodation, dining and tourism services.

She added that the ministry is working with the Ministry of Science and Technology to raise awareness of Halal standards among businesses and local authorities while strengthening international partnerships, trade fairs and promotional activities to expand market access.

Building a comprehensive Halal ecosystem

In his speech, Ha Van Sieu, deputy director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), described the Halal market as a major growth opportunity if Vietnam can respond proactively.

However, he pointed out, the country’s Halal tourism ecosystem is incomplete. The number of Halal-certified hotels and restaurants is still limited, while tourism personnel with knowledge of Islamic culture are in short supply. Market research and promotional activities also need further improvement.

Vietnam should standardise Halal tourism services, strengthen workforce training on Muslim culture and customs, and provide prayer facilities at accommodation establishments and tourist attractions to better serve visitors' needs, he said.

Regarding communication, Sieu suggested that the tourism industry step up Halal market research and leverage key opinion leaders (KOLs) to promote Vietnam’s image to the Muslim community, while simultaneously raising awareness among the public and businesses about Halal culture.

“In the near future, Vietnam's tourism industry must standardise Halal practices, upgrade the skills of service personnel, and ensure that accommodation facilities provide prayer spaces,” Sieu stated.

Addressing the conference, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong shared the view that Vietnam has every opportunity to become an attractive Halal destination in the region if it accelerates the development of supporting services.

He said Halal tourism is still at an early stage of development in Vietnam, with products and services remaining fragmented.

The country therefore needs to invest in an integrated network of Halal-certified hotels, restaurants, prayer spaces, digital platforms and tourism products, while expanding professional training and promotional campaigns in priority markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar and the Middle East, he suggested.

Furthermore, tourism promotion efforts must be intensified, with the focus on key Muslim markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Qatar, he added.

HalalViet center launched to boost Vietnamese participation in global Halal supply

VOV.VN - The HalalViet Promotion and Experience Center was officially launched in Hanoi on May 15 and is expected to become a hub for trade connectivity, certification support and digital transformation to help Vietnamese businesses integrate more deeply into global Halal supply chains.