On October 9, at the regular third-quarter 2026 press conference of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Pham Van Thuy forecasted that the tourism industry will fulfill its target of receiving 25 million international visitors and 150 million domestic visitors in 2026.
The goal to achieve its goal of serving 25 million international tourists and 150 million domestic travelers in 2026 will be driven by peak-season growth and target market expansion.
The Deputy Director General informed that during the first nine months, Vietnam welcomed approximately 17.7 million international arrivals. Entering the peak season (from October to early next year), along with the synchronized implementation of various solutions to attract tourists, the tourism industry expects to meet its annual growth targets.
Accordingly, the tourism sector proactively innovates promotion methods, shifting strongly from introducing available offerings to building products that directly meet tourists' actual needs.
Promotion plans in key markets, including the Vietnam-China tourism cooperation program, are expected to create important momentum to achieve growth targets.
In addition, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism is actively coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to expand markets, create favorable conditions for tourists, and enhance aviation connectivity. Among these, coordination with the Ministry of Public Security and transport management authorities to promote connectivity, restore, and expand air routes between Vietnam and other countries, as well as between domestic localities, is identified as a core solution.
Sharing about methods to evaluate tourism development effectiveness, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Pham Van Thuy emphasized the need to comprehensively consider both visitor numbers and spending levels. If visitor numbers reflect the competitiveness of Vietnamese tourism, spending levels demonstrate economic efficiency and service quality.
Currently, the tourism sector is accelerating digital transformation, expanding cashless payments, and improving service quality to attract high-spending and long-stay tourist segments.
