The following is the “Strategy on Viet Nam’s tourism development until 2020, vision to 2030,” approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Decision 2473/QĐ-TTg dated December 30, 2011.  

Strategy on Viet Nam’s tourism development until 2020, vision to 2030

1. Perspective

a) To develop tourism into a key economic sector, accounting for an increasing proportion of GDP, creating a driving force for socio-economic development;

b) To develop tourism in the direction of professionalism and modernism, with focal point; to focus on in-depth development, assuring quality and efficiency while affirming brand and competitiveness;

c) To develop simultaneously domestic and international tourism; to pay attention to international inbound tourism; to strengthen the management of outbound tourism;

d) To develop sustainable tourism tied to the preservation and promotion of cultural values of the nation; to ensure landscape preservation and environmental protection; to maintain security, national defense, social order and safety;

e) To promote social engagement in and mobilize all domestic and foreign resources for investment in tourism development; to make full use of the national potentials and advantages in terms of natural factors, national culture and characteristic strong points of each and every region throughout the country, to strengthen the connections for tourism development.

2. Objectives

a) General objectives

By 2020, tourism would have basically become a key economic sector, which is modern and professional with relatively uniform technical infrastructure; tourism products would have high quality, diversity and prestige, and they are imbued with national identities and able to compete with other countries in the region and the world.

By 2030, Viet Nam strives to become a nation with a developed tourism sector.

b) Specific objectives

- Average growth rate of the tourism industry for the period 2011-2020 would reach 11.5-12% per annum.

- In 2015: Viet Nam would welcome 7-7.5 million international tourist arrivals and 36-37 million domestic tourists; total revenue from tourism would reach US$10-11 billion, contributing 5.5-6% of GDP; the sector would have a total of 390,000 accommodation suites, 30-35% of which are of three to five-star standards; the sector would create 2.2 million jobs, including 620,000 employees working directly in tourism.

- In 2020: Viet Nam would receive 10-10.5 million international arrivals and 47-48 million domestic tourists; total revenue from tourism would reach US$18-19 billion, contributing 6.5-7% of the country's GDP; total accommodation suites would be 580,000, 35-40% of which are of three to five-star standards; the sector would create 3 million jobs, including 870,000 employees working directly in tourism.

- In 2030: Total revenue from tourism would double that of 2020.

3. Solutions

a) Development of tourism products

- To develop a tourist product system that is unique, diverse and uniform, with high quality and high added value, meeting the needs of domestic and international tourists; to develop "green" tourism products, respecting natural elements and local cultures;

- To plan and invest in tourism product development based on outstanding strengths and attractions of tourism resources; to prioritize the development of marine tourism, cultural tourism and eco-tourism; to step by step form systems of national and local tourism areas, routes, destinations and tourism urban areas;

- To take advantage of strengths and strengthening the links between regions and localities towards the formation of specific tourism products of each tourism area:

+ Midland and mountainous areas in North Viet Nam, including Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Lang Son and Bac Giang Provinces, are featured with eco-cultural tourism associated with exploration of cultural identities of ethnic minorities.

+ Red River Delta and coastal Northeast, including Ha Noi, Hai Phong City, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen and Thai Binh, Ha Nam, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Quang Ninh Provinces, are characterized by sea sightseeing, cultural tourism associated with values of the wet rice civilization and local traditional activities, urban tourism, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions) tourism.

+ North Central region, including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue Provinces, is characterized by tours to explore world cultural and natural heritage sites, marine tourism, eco-tourism, historic-cultural exploration.

+ Coastal South Central region, including Da Nang City, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan Provinces, is distinguished in marine and resort tourism associated with the exploration of heritages, marine culture and cuisine.

+ Central Highlands, including Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong Provinces, have eco-tourism and cultural tourism exploiting the unique cultural values of indigenous ethnic groups.

+ Eastern South Viet Nam, including Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Phuoc, and Tay Ninh Provinces, is featured with urban tourism, MICE tourism, culture and history exploration, marine ecological and resort tourism.

+ Mekong Delta, including Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Tien Giang, Hau Giang Provinces and Can Tho City,  has eco-tourism, river life culture, marine ecological and resort tourism, and MICE tourism.

b) Development of infrastructure and technical facilities for tourism

- Planning and investing in infrastructure development in terms of transport, information and communications, energy, water supply and drainage, environment and related fields to ensure a uniform system for tourism development; modernizing the public transport network; planning public spaces;

- Upgrading and developing social infrastructure of culture, health, and education, especially museums, theaters, clinics, training and educational establishments, with sufficient conveniences and  facilities for tourists;

- Developing the technical infrastructure system that ensures quality, modern, convenient and uniform tourism services and facilities, to meet the needs of tourists. Such a system includes tourist attractions, accommodations, restaurants, information service, travel advice, booking and reservation service, travel agents, tour operators, tour guides, vehicles and transport service establishments for tourists, service facilities for sightseeing, leisure, entertainment, sports, conference and other purposes.

c) Training and nurturing human resource for tourism

- Developing human resources for tourism, so that quality, quantity, sectoral structure and standards of training all meet requirements of tourism development and international integration;

- Developing a network of strong tourism training establishments with modern and uniform technical and teaching equipment; standardizing the quality of lecturers; standardizing the framework curriculum for tourism training;

- Crafting and implementing strategies, planning schemes and plans on tourism human resource development in accordance with the needs of tourism development in specific periods and regions; step by step standardizing tourism human resources with regional and international standards, paying special attention to tourism managers and skilled labor;

- Diversifying training methods; encouraging on-the-job training and self-training according to the needs of businesses.

d) Market development, tourism promotion and brands

- Development of tourist markets:

+ Selectively attracting market segments of tourist with high affordability and long-stay;

+ Pushing up the domestic tourism market, focusing on the market segment of tourists of convalescence, entertainment, weekend relaxation and shopping purposes.

+ Further attracting international tourists coming from Northeast Asia (China, Japan, Republic of Korea), Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia); Western Europe (France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands); Northern Europe; North America (US, Canada) and Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine); expanding and luring tourists from new markets, such as the Middle East and India.

- Tourism promotion:

+ Boosting tourism promotion in the direction of professionalism, aiming at the targeted markets, with tourism products and brands as the focus; attaching tourism promotion with the dissemination of the nation’s images;

+ Designing and implementing tourism promotion plans and programs at home and abroad, with flexible forms for each period of time and consistent with the objectives identified; attaching tourism promotion to trade promotion, investment promotion, diplomacy and cultural exchange.

- Development of tourism brands:

+ Developing the national tourism brand on the basis of the development of regional and local tourism brands, tourism enterprise brands and tourism product brands; placing importance on the development of tourism brands with strong regional and international competitiveness;

+ Strengthening the coordination between sectors, administrative levels and localities in the construction and development of tourism brands to ensure consistency.

e) Investment and policies for tourism development

- The State should offer preferential policies to support investments in tourism infrastructure, human resource training, tourism promotion and brand development; link and mobilize resources for capacity building and quality improvement of tourism service providers, forming tourism centers of regional and international standards;

- The investment priority lies in the development of national tourism centers, attractions, and urban areas, as well as tourism routes and destinations in remote areas or regions of socio-economic difficulties which have potential to develop tourism;

- Implementing sustainable development policies; designing preferential policies for the development of eco-tourism, "green" tourism, community tourism, and responsible tourism;

- Implementing policies to encourage social engagement in and attraction of domestic and foreign investment sources for the development of tourism technical infrastructure, human resource and tourism promotion.

f) International cooperation in tourism

- Implementing proactively and effectively bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements signed;

- Boosting international tourism cooperation with other countries and international organizations, linking Viet Nam's tourism market with regional and world tourism markets;

- Expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation relationships in order to enlist the support of other countries and international organizations, so as to accelerate Viet Nam's tourism development and integration, heightening the image and status of Viet Nam's tourism in the international arena.

g) State management in tourism

- Perfecting tourism and tourism-related institutions, mechanisms and policies; amending and supplementing the Law on Tourism to create a favorable legal environment for tourism development;

- Strengthening the capacity of state management agencies on tourism from local to central levels to the meet the requirements of development; boosting the coordination and connection between tourism and other sectors, among regions and localities for tourism development;

- Designing strategies and planning schemes for tourism development with high quality and feasibility; the State focuses on planning and investing in the development of tourism regions, national tourism sites, attractions and urban areas;

- Reckoning, monitoring and managing customer flows and norms of outbound travel in relation to continuously improving the quality of domestic tourism activities;

- Enhancing the application of industry standard systems; boosting inspection and supervision in order to control and maintain the quality of tourism products and services; forming a testing, evaluation and management system for the quality of the tourism sector, thereby creating a healthy competitive environment in the sector;

- Further decentralizing management while ensuring the State’s macro-level management as well as encouraging businesses’ pro-activeness and dynamic and local communities’ active participation. Enhancing the role and responsibility of local authorities in maintaining the civilized environment, social safety, public order and security in tourism areas and attractions;

- Continuing to reform state-owned enterprises in the tourism sector through equitizing the entire state capital; encouraging the development of tourism businesses which possess strong potential and brands; focusing on the development of small and medium tourism enterprises, especially households, in association with the development of community tourism and tourism in rural and remote areas;

- Boosting the research and application of scientific and technological advances in tourism management and business, training tourism human resources, market survey and tourism promotion;

- Raising awareness of all administrative levels, sectors and the whole society about the position and role of tourism to the country’s socio-economic development; giving prominence to social and environmental responsibility in all tourism activities.

4. Action plan

a) To perfect institutions, mechanisms and policies and to improve state management in tourism

- To review, amend, supplement and complete stipulations of the Law on Tourism and relevant legal documents;

- To perfect institutions, mechanisms, policies and legal regulations in order to boost tourism development;

- To perfect the organizational apparatus of state tourism management from central to local levels, especially by forming affiliate organizations for regional tourism development;

- To improve the system of specialized standards and technical regulations for tourism sector;

- To enhance training and retraining activities for better state management in tourism at all levels.

b) Designing strategies on tourism development by field

- Strategy on Vietnamese tourism brand development

- Tourism marketing strategy

- Tourism human resource development strategy

c) Planning and investment for tourism development

- Master plan on Viet Nam tourism development until 2020, vision to 2030

- Master plan on the development of tourism areas until 2020, vision to 2030

- Planning and investment for the development of national tourism centers, attractions and urban areas

- Master plan on the tourism development at provincial level until 2020, vision to 2030

- Affiliate programs for tourism development at inter-provincial level, by region and in area

d) Implementation of programs and plans for tourism development

- Tourism quality management program

- Program to raise awareness about tourism and civilized behaviors

- Program to support investment in tourism infrastructure development

- National Action Plan on tourism

- National tourism promotion program

- Program to investigate, evaluate, classify and build database of tourism resources

- Tourism satellite account application program

- Projects to develop thematic tourism: Tourism development plan for sea, islands and coastal areas of Viet Nam until 2020; Tourism development plan for border provinces; plan on community tourism development associated with poverty reduction and rural economic restructuring