With a series of impressive milestones and world-renowned works, Vietnamese tourism has promptly climbed the global ladder and become an attractive destination for international tourists in recent years.

InterContinental Da Nang Sun Peninsula Resort in the central city of Da Nang

Tourism was oriented by the Government to become a spearhead economic sector from 2001. 

However, it was not until the last 10 years that Viet Nam’s smoke-free industry has been really booming thanks to an array of stimulus policies and the involvement of many large private corporations.

In 2000, Viet Nam welcomed just more than two million arrivals of foreign visitors (equal to one twentieth of the figure of the Philippines and one fortieth compared to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand). 

But in the 2015-2019 period, the country recorded great strides regarding important indicators, with international arrivals witnessing a 2.3-fold rise from 7.9 million to about 18 million (an average annual growth rate of 22%) and tourism revenue hitting VND726 trillion (US$31.6 billion) in 2019. 

In addition, Viet Nam’s tourism competitiveness index moved up 12 places in a global ranking released by the World Economic Forum, from 75th out of 141 countries and territories in 2015 to 63th out of 140 four years later.

Viet Nam has strongly impressed foreign visitors with unique tourism products and a series of luxury recreation and resort complexes all over the country.

In the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2020, Viet Nam was honored in three categories: ‘Asia’s Leading Heritage Destination’, ‘Asia’s Leading Cultural Destination’ and ‘Asia’s Leading Culinary Destination’. Meanwhile, the US’s prestigious travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler also named Viet Nam ninth in a list of the world’s 20 favourite countries.

According to WTA Founder Graham E. Cooke, Viet Nam has been making increasingly significant contributions to the global tourism industry in a sustainable manner, thereby opening up many business opportunities. 

Vietnamese businesses are investing in the construction of better infrastructure and higher-quality resorts, with the quality of hotel services having improved remarkably thanks to these enterprises’ synchronous training. 

The development of tourism will also lead to socio-economic development, thus affirming the brand of Vietnamese tourism with high quality and modernity and as a bright spot on the global tourism map, as well as asserting the bravery of the Vietnamese people and enabling Viet Nam to “stand shoulder to shoulder with great powers around the world.