Overseas tourism promotion: Breakthrough in market connectivity

As 2024 draws to a close, Vietnam’s tourism sector has shown remarkable progress. According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), Vietnam welcomed 12.6 million international visitors in 2023, nearly 3.5 times higher than in 2022, and in 2024, the country is expected to attract 17-18 million international tourists, a 40 percent increase from 2023, fully recovering to pre-pandemic levels of 2019, and serve 110 million domestic tourists, with total tourism revenue estimated at VND840 trillion.

Image introducing Vietnam’s tourism on vietnam.travel (Screenshot)

In 2024, Vietnam’s tourism achieved prestigious international accolades. Specifically, Vietnam was recognized as the World’s Leading Heritage Destination for the fifth time, Asia’s Leading Destination for the sixth time, Asia’s Leading Heritage Destination for the second time, Asia’s Leading Nature Destination for the third time, and Asia’s Best Golf Destination for the eighth time.

VNAT attributes this success partly due to overseas market promotion efforts. It has carried out tourism promotion and advertising activities in countries that are Vietnam’s comprehensive strategic partners, such as the US, China, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Russia, France, and Australia.

Notably, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and delivered keynote speeches at two major programs promoting Vietnam’s tourism and culture in the RoK and China. The events contributed to deepening Vietnam’s comprehensive strategic partnerships with these countries.

In 2024, VNAT for the first time organized the Vietnam Tourism and Cinema Promotion Program in Hollywood, USA, under the theme “Vietnam - New Destination of World Cinema.” This program served as a successful example of public-private partnership, leveraging resources from the Tourism Development Support Fund. Despite a very short preparation time, it managed to mobilize socialized resources and the participation of numerous organizations, localities, corporations, and major enterprises.

The program attracted over 500 guests, including renowned Hollywood directors and filmmakers. Numerous cooperation agreements were signed between Vietnamese and US partners during the program. “The program paves the way for tourism development through cinema, highlighting Vietnam’s natural landscapes, culture, and people,” VNAT said.

In 2024, VNAT also participated in global international tourism fairs, such as WTM London and CITM China, as well as promoted Vietnam’s tourism and culture at festivals abroad. From December 9-11, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Quang Nam Province, successfully hosted the International Conference on Rural Tourism in Hoi An, Quang Nam. This marked the UNWTO’s first global event on rural tourism, addressed by Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long and attracting over 300 delegates from more than 50 countries. Through this event, the image of Vietnam’s tourism, particularly its potential and strengths in rural tourism, was widely promoted to international friends and partners.

In the context of strong digital transformation, VNAT has intensified efforts to promote tourism on digital platforms. A diverse approach has been implemented across multiple channels, including websites, social media, and smart applications, with various formats, such as articles, images, graphics, and video clips. The content is engaging, showcasing Vietnam’s top destinations and outstanding tourism products, tailored to the preferences and interests of travelers in the post-pandemic era.

VNAT emphasized that overseas tourism promotion activities have yielded breakthroughs in market connectivity, partnership exchanges, and strong growth in the number of international visitors to Vietnam. These achievements are attributed to carefully selected strategies aligned with the country’s overall development orientation, focusing on countries that are Vietnam’s comprehensive strategic partners, aiming to enhance and deepen cooperative relationships.

Promotional activities have been implemented in various forms, including participation in global international tourism fairs, events showcasing Vietnam’s tourism at festivals abroad, conferences, connections with international partners, and digital platform-based campaigns. Promotion programs have been organized on a larger scale, attracting the participation of numerous localities, organizations, corporations, and domestic and international businesses.

The tourism sector has effectively leveraged the public-private partnership model, combining the state budget with socialized funds to ensure timely and effective implementation of promotional programs. “There has been innovation and creativity, with fresh themes and products introduced, such as film tourism, agricultural tourism, railway tourism, night-time tourism, and golf tourism, which have sparked excitement among visitors and partners,” VNAT noted./.