“Redefining Vietnam’s Tourism Brand: Elevating Luxury and Sustainability for Global Competitiveness”
Dr. Pham Ha, CEO of LuxGroup:
“The national tourism brand needs to be redefined to align with new trends…”
In 2025, Vietnam’s tourism industry is expected to continue its strong recovery. Compared to other countries in the region, Vietnam boasts significant competitive advantages, including breathtaking nature, diverse culture, exquisite cuisine, and friendly people. These distinctive factors make Vietnam stand out in the eyes of international travelers, especially as the country emerges as a new hotspot for luxury tourism.
In this context, LuxGroup, a leading tourism and hospitality corporation, aims for a 30% revenue growth by 2025. The group also plans to expand its reach into new markets such as the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the United States while maintaining its presence in traditional markets through a multilingual strategy across five major languages.
However, Dr. Pham Ha highlights several major challenges facing Vietnam’s tourism industry:
- Inconsistent policies
The lack of uniformity in regulations and policies for tourism development hinders investment attraction and the effective exploitation of the industry’s potential.
- Inadequate infrastructure
In many destinations, transportation, accommodation, and premium services fail to meet the expectations of luxury travelers. This limitation affects Vietnam’s ability to compete with other high-end destinations in the region.
- Insufficiently skilled workforce
The tourism sector lacks skilled personnel, particularly in the luxury segment, where international service standards are a necessity. This skills gap makes it difficult to cater to the demands of discerning customers.
- Uncreative tourism products and ineffective promotion
Tourism products often overlap, lack creativity, and fail to leave a lasting impression on visitors. Furthermore, promotional activities are insufficiently targeted to attract luxury travelers, who typically stay longer, spend more, and prioritize sustainable tourism.
- Outdated national tourism branding
After 15 years of using the slogan “Timeless Charm,” the national tourism brand requires redefinition to align with new trends. A stronger emphasis on Vietnam’s unique and distinctive values is essential to enhance its global competitiveness.
Positive Signals
In 2024, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Vietnam’s tourism industry achieved remarkable milestones:
- International arrivals: Nearly 17.5 million, up 38.9% compared to 2023.
- Domestic travelers: Estimated at 110 million, up 1.6%.
- Total tourism revenue: Approximately 840 trillion VND, up 23.8%.
These figures underscore the industry’s immense potential to contribute to the national economy. However, achieving the government’s 2025 targets of 25-28 million international visitors and 130 million domestic travelers, as outlined in Decision 509/QĐ-TTg, remains a significant challenge.
Solutions: Businesses Driving Innovation
Dr. Pham Ha asserts, “To achieve these goals, the tourism industry needs comprehensive and robust reform. Businesses, especially in the luxury tourism sector, must restructure, identify their core strengths, and leverage technology and sustainable trends to create long-term value.”
LuxGroup, with over 20 years of experience, remains committed to its mission of elevating Vietnam’s tourism industry, delivering memorable experiences to travelers, and solidifying Vietnam’s position on the global tourism map.
