Visitors to Ba Na Hill, a popular destination in Da Nang city (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam was one of the 10 countries with the highest tourism growth in the world in 2019. It was honored with prestigious prizes like "Asia's Best Destination", “The world’s leading heritage destination in 2019”, and a "World Golf Destination". Vietnam was named “Asia’s leading culinary destination” by the World Travel Awards. The Director of the Inmarc Indonesia Company said Vietnam has great tourist potential like beautiful landscape, diverse cuisines, good hotels, and favorable flights. Vietnam has opened a number of restaurants offering halal food to serve Muslim Indonesian tourists. 

Vietnam’s World Economic Forum tourism ranking improved remarkably in 2019 jumping from 75^th out of 141 in 2015 to 63^rd out of 140 in 2019. Vietnam’s successful hosting of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019, the 2^nd USA-DPRK summit, and the UN Vesak Day 2019 helped promote Vietnamese tourism and attract more tourists.

This year the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has set the goal of receiving 20.5 million foreign tourists and 90 million domestic tourists. Deputy Minister Le Quang Tung said Vietnam’s tourism achievements in 2019 have created the momentum needed to achieve 2020’s target: “Localities need exploit their potential to ensure sustainable tourism growth in order to boost local socio-economic development. It’s necessary to mobilize more resources for tourism development, focusing on public-private partnership and the role of strategic investors in infrastructure and modern tourism development, and encouraging the community to participate in sustainable tourism development.”

To achieve the set targets, the tourism sector will continue to apply IT, restructure tourism products, create incentives to promote tourism and increase tourism promotion. This year Vietnam will serve as ASEAN Chair and host the Formula One racing in Hanoi.