Vietnam Tourism’s Future Strategy: The Golden Key of Digital and Green Transformation
In the dynamic landscape of global tourism, Vietnam stands at a crossroads of unprecedented opportunity and urgent transformation. The recovery from the pandemic has not only restored international travel flows—forecast to reach 1.4 billion arrivals worldwide in 2024, nearly back to pre-COVID levels—but has also accelerated two forces reshaping the industry: digital transformation and green transformation. For Vietnam, these are no longer optional trends but the “golden key,” two complementary pillars that define the nation’s tourism development strategy in the decades ahead.
A Sector in Profound Transformation
At the High-Level Tourism Forum held within the Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2025), policymakers, industry leaders, and global experts converged to discuss the future of tourism under the theme: “Shaping the Future of Tourism: Towards Digital Transformation and Green Transformation.”
Vietnam’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Van Hung, stressed that the industry is entering a “period of profound transformation.” The convergence of artificial intelligence, big data, and smart platforms is revolutionizing how destinations are managed and experiences personalized. Simultaneously, rising environmental pressures—emissions reduction, waste management, climate adaptation—demand that growth be recalibrated through the lens of sustainability.
“Digitalization and green growth are not just parallel trends,” the Minister emphasized. “They are twin strategies that reinforce one another, ensuring the tourism industry is competitive, modern, and sustainable.”
From Policy to Action
Vietnam is not starting from zero. In recent years, the Ministry has rolled out initiatives from developing smart-green destination criteria to launching plastic waste reduction campaigns and incentivizing enterprises to integrate digital solutions into marketing and operations. Localities such as Da Nang, Quang Ninh, and Ninh Binh are already piloting green tourism zones, deploying smart apps for visitor management, and linking digital platforms with heritage preservation.
At the national level, the government’s commitment is anchored in Resolution 08-NQ/TW (2017), which designated tourism a spearhead economic sector, and the National Green Growth Strategy 2021–2030, setting ambitious emission reduction targets and prioritizing tourism as a green growth industry. Meanwhile, the expansion of visa exemptions, e-visa systems, and extended stays illustrates a pragmatic approach to lowering entry barriers and enriching the visitor journey.
The Business Case for Twin Pillars
The rationale is clear. On one hand, digitalization boosts competitiveness and efficiency. Cloud-based systems, AI-driven personalization, and immersive technologies such as AR/VR allow Vietnam to deliver the hyper-customized, seamless experiences today’s travelers expect. Smart tourism platforms not only optimize visitor flows but also capture valuable data for long-term planning.
On the other hand, green transformation addresses the rising demand for responsible travel. Post-pandemic, affluent tourists—particularly from Europe, North America, and East Asia—are willing to pay a premium for low-carbon, community-oriented, and authentic experiences. Vietnam’s natural assets—Halong Bay, Son Doong Cave, the Mekong Delta—can only retain their magnetism if sustainably managed. Green finance, renewable energy adoption, and eco-certifications are no longer niche, but mainstream imperatives.
As Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ha Van Sieu, noted: “Digitalization modernizes management and enriches the customer journey; green growth protects the environment and communities. Together, they create destinations that are more attractive, resilient, and future-proof.”
A Voice from the Industry
Dr. Phạm Hà, Chairman and CEO of LuxGroup (www.luxgroup.vn), offered a candid perspective: “Vietnam has nature, culture, culinary, and people. But we should not focus on quantity, we should focus on quality. Travelers come easily, have fun here, and enjoy spending more when the experience is right. The bottlenecks we must solve lie in products, human resources, repositioning, and the mechanism that recognizes tourism as a true economic sector.”
He added that LuxGroup, his pioneering luxury travel and cruise enterprise, is pursuing what he calls the 5G strategy: “Go global, go local, green, digital, and maritime.” For him, the future of Vietnamese tourism rests on embracing the country’s unique cultural DNA while scaling globally, innovating with technology, and anchoring growth in sustainable maritime and heritage tourism.
Strategic Orientations for 2030 and Beyond
Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh laid out six orientations for rapid and sustainable tourism growth:
1. Institutional reform to align legal frameworks with digital and green objectives.
2. Mindset renewal across government, enterprises, and communities.
3. Global cooperation, leveraging international best practices and financing.
4. Regional and cross-sector linkages, particularly between transport, culture, and hospitality.
5. Human capital development, ensuring a digitally skilled, sustainability-literate workforce.
6. Enterprise empowerment, providing tools, incentives, and platforms for SMEs and large corporations alike.
The Prime Minister’s guiding principle encapsulates this holistic approach: “Outstanding products – Professional services – Convenient procedures – Competitive prices – Clean environment – Safe, civilized, and friendly destinations.”
Five Solution Groups for Implementation
To translate vision into action, Minister Nguyen Van Hung proposed five solution clusters:
• Policy and Standards: Establish national green tourism benchmarks and a unified digital database.
• Conservation and Heritage: Develop products linking tourism with cultural preservation and environmental stewardship.
• Technology and Energy: Accelerate adoption of digital platforms, renewable energy, and green financing tools.
• Awareness and Participation: Elevate community involvement and business responsibility in building “green, bright, clean, beautiful” destinations.
• Global Partnerships: Expand cooperation for technology transfer, financing, and capacity-building.
This integrated roadmap reflects a belief that transformation is not a government-only task but a collaborative endeavor involving enterprises, localities, and communities.
Outlook: Vietnam’s Competitive Edge
The global travel market is rebounding with intensity. UN Tourism projects international arrivals in 2025 to surpass pre-pandemic baselines, signaling renewed appetite for exploration. For Vietnam, the challenge is to capture a greater share of this recovery not by competing on price, but by differentiating on experience, authenticity, and sustainability.
The industry’s future lies not only in iconic attractions but in its ability to position every destination—be it urban Saigon, cultural Hoi An, or the northern highlands—within a smart, green ecosystem. That ecosystem must deliver both convenience and conscience: seamless booking, e-visas, digital guides, and cashless payments, alongside carbon-neutral lodgings, renewable energy cruises, and community-based tourism.
Tourism, as Deputy Prime Minister Chinh observed, is not merely an economic transaction. It is a bridge of culture and peace, a platform for global understanding. Vietnam’s embrace of the dual transformation model—digital and green—alongside private sector pioneers like LuxGroup, will determine whether the country can transform its abundant natural and cultural heritage into long-term competitive advantage.
The message from ITE HCMC 2025 is unambiguous: the future of Vietnam’s tourism is not about choosing between digitalization or sustainability. It is about forging them together into a single golden key—unlocking a path toward a tourism sector that is sustainable, modern, and unmistakably Vietnamese.
