The requirement was made by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra at a September 28 meeting of the State Steering Committee for Tourism, in the context that the country works to shift tourism development towards higher quality, stronger local identities and greater value added.

From more visitors to more distinctive experiences

Vietnam’s tourism industry has continued to expand in 2026. In the first eight months of the year, the country welcomed 15.9 million international visitors, equivalent to 63.6% of the annual target of 25 million. Domestic travel reached 113 million trips, more than 75% of the full-year target of 150 million. Tourism revenue reached VND781 trillion during the period.

By the end of August, Vietnam had more than 4,600 enterprises licensed for international tour operations, over 44,000 tourist accommodation establishments, 538 tourist attractions, 70 provincial-level tourist areas and 10 national tourist areas.

The growing scale of the market, however, also highlights the need to improve the quality and distinctiveness of what destinations offer.

Tourism infrastructure and connectivity remain major bottlenecks. In many localities, products are still seasonal, small in scale or insufficiently differentiated, limiting their ability to attract visitors for longer stays and encourage higher spending.

The industry also faces shortages of high-quality human resources, particularly personnel capable of serving international visitors.

These challenges have prompted calls for new mechanisms and policies for emerging tourism models and products, stronger development of distinctive and high-quality experiences, and more targeted promotion of international markets.

The focus on distinctive local products is also consistent with Resolution 26-NQ/TW, issued by the Politburo on August 22, 2026, which calls for Vietnam's tourism industry to move from a quantity-driven model towards higher quality, stronger experiences and greater value added.

Making promotion more targeted and sustainable

Developing distinctive products will need to go hand in hand with a more focused approach to tourism promotion.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang called for promotion campaigns to be designed with longer-term objectives and clearer priorities, including specific messages for each year and a careful selection of target markets and promotional formats.

She noted that Vietnam organises many tourism promotion activities, but their impact remains limited in some cases. New markets also require greater attention, including Central Asian markets that have shown strong potential but have not yet received sufficient promotional activities.

A more targeted approach would allow local products to be matched with the markets and visitor groups most likely to value them, rather than relying primarily on broad promotional campaigns.

Visa policy is another part of the effort to improve access to the Vietnamese market. Deputy Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General Pham The Tung said Vietnam's tourism visa procedures have become more open and convenient and are now conducted entirely online.

The Ministry of Public Security plans to study differentiated visa arrangements for specific groups and markets, balancing greater facilitation for international visitors with requirements for public security and legal compliance.

Turning Resolution 26 into concrete tourism products

The meeting also focused on the institutional and operational foundations needed for the next stage of tourism development.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra called for fundamental improvements to the policy and institutional framework for tourism, together with the development of special mechanisms suited to the industry. She also requested completion of the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy to 2035, with a vision to 2045, before December 15, 2026.

Other priorities include developing high-quality tourism human resources, accelerating the creation of a digital tourism database, and using APEC as an impetus for stronger tourism promotion and the development of distinctive and outstanding tourism products.

The Government’s action programme for implementing Resolution 26 was issued in September through Resolution 263/NQ-CP, providing a framework for translating the Politburo's tourism development direction into concrete tasks.

For localities, the immediate task is particularly clear. Beyond key products and priority tourism areas, each province and centrally governed city must identify at least one distinctive product that can represent its local identity and competitive advantage.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra called for a plan with clear targets and assignments for ministries and localities, including a proposed direction for product development in line with Resolution 26.

The aim is to ensure that the policy does not stop at general goals but results in concrete tourism experiences that visitors can see, use and remember.

For Vietnam’s tourism industry, the next phase is therefore not simply about attracting more visitors. It is also about giving them more compelling reasons to choose a destination, stay longer, spend more and return. Developing distinctive local products, strengthening connectivity and infrastructure, improving service quality and targeting international promotion more effectively will be central to that transition.