Vietnam welcomed about 17.7 million international tourists in the first nine months of 2026, marking a 14.5% increase year-on-year and reaching 70.7% of its annual target, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism. Domestic arrivals rose to approximately 126 million in the same period, up 5.8% and fulfilling 84% of the yearly plan. Total tourism revenue increased 10% year-on-year to 874 trillion VND (33.8 billion USD).
Vietnam ranked second worldwide for improvement in the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2026 published by the World Economic Forum in late September. The country also received top honors at the 2026
World Travel Awards as Asia’s Leading Destination for the eighth time and Asia’s Leading Heritage Destination for the fourth time, reflecting advances in tourism appeal and brand recognition.
Vietnam’s strategic tourism marketing approach
Vietnam is implementing a more focused, data-driven tourism promotion strategy to strengthen its global brand image and convert visitor interest into confirmed bookings. Promotional activities now emphasize identified priority markets including Japan, India, Russia, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. Marketing methods incorporate tourism fairs, festivals, cultural and culinary events, alongside new models such as appointing tourism ambassadors, promoting destinations via cinema, and developing digital marketing ecosystems.
Vietnamese tourism specialists highlight challenges
such as inconsistent coordination among central agencies, local governments, and businesses, as well as limited, unstable funding for promotion efforts. These factors restrict campaign scale and coherence, hindering consistent country branding amid intensifying global competition.
Official perspectives on brand building and market focus
Leaders in Vietnam’s tourism sector stress the necessity of constructing a strong, recognizable national brand beyond individual destinations. The approach calls for sustained, continuous, and targeted promotional campaigns conducted under a shared strategy involving the State, local authorities, and major enterprises.
Experts advise leveraging digital technologies including data analytics, artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and content creators to reach segmented target markets effectively. They recommend categorizing
priority markets for 2026 to 2030 into core, expansion, and longer-term preparation groups. Each market should receive customized messages, flagship product development, identified distribution partners, and defined promotional plans with performance metrics.
Policy framework supporting unified tourism promotion
The Politburo’s Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW mandates a national tourism promotion program with a unified and professional message. The program aims to align tourism marketing with national efforts to enhance the country’s image, investment environment, trade opportunities, culture, heritage, and people. The State is tasked with coordinating national destination campaigns and collaborating with major businesses for international promotion.
Converting promotion into bookings and capacity
Following promotional activities such as tourism fairs, roadshows, familiarization trips, and
forums, organizers are advised to establish contact lists, identify product groups, schedule follow-up meetings, and assign responsibilities to ensure conversion from promotion to bookings. Increasing availability of bookable products and ensuring business capacity to serve the targeted markets remain priorities for tourism promotion to be effective.
