Foreign tourists walk by Hoàn Kiếm Lake in the centre of Hà Nội. Việt Nam aims to welcome 25 million foreign tourists this year. VNA/VNS Photo Thành Đạt

 HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has approved an outline roadmap on tourism and business connections in North America as a way to effectively accelerate the tourism stimulus plan in 2025.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hồ An Phong has signed a decision approving the outline of the programme which is as an effort to contribute to completing the target of welcoming 25 million foreign tourists and 150 million domestic visitors this year.

This follows a direction in the Government's Resolution No 226/NQ-CP dated February 5, 2025 ensuring the yearly national growth target of 8.3 - 8.5 per cent or more.

The programme, which will take place from November 1 to 10, 2025, aims to increase recognition and create an impression of the image of 'Việt Nam-Endless Beauty; for American tourists, consolidating the image and positioning of the country's tourism brand as a safe, friendly, diverse, rich in experience, identity and majestic nature destination, according to a report from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST).

It will help promote and spread the beauty of Việt Nam's nature, culture and people and promote specific tourism products and services suitable to the tastes of the US market, especially for the middle-class and high-end tourist segment to stimulate demand and create trust for American tourists to choose Việt Nam, contributing to promoting a 10 per cent increase of American tourists to the country in 2026, the MoCST stated on its website.

The programme will introduce a culinary tourism space, increasing the sympathy, understanding and affection of Americans for Việt Nam, create opportunities for tourism service providers to meet, connect, sign memorandums of understanding with US businesses and partners, promote information exchange, cooperation in product development and expansion of the tourism market.

A momentum for growth in the number of international visitors to Viêt Nam and an improvement for the competitiveness of Vietnamese tourism are expected to achieved in the international market due to the programme through activities in promoting, advertising, applying preferential policies and convenient entry procedures.

Businesses will be supported to grasp the changing needs of the US market, thereby proposing new product packages suitable to the US visitors in the future.

The programme is held to affirm the leading role of the MoCST in orienting strategies and organising activities to build and develop the national tourism brand in the US market; boost cooperation in investment, trade and communication in the tourism sector; at the same time contribute to improving the effectiveness of tourism promotion and advertising, creating momentum for the recovery and sustainable development of tourism.

A series of activities will take place including a business meeting (B2B), an event to introduce Vietnamese tourism, a business exchange party, a traditional art performance, a Vietnamese coffee space and a communication promotion programme held before, during and after the event. 

The MoCST has assigned the Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism and the Tourism Development Support Fund to preside over and organising the programme while other units under the MoCST are responsible for coordinating with them in implementing the tasks, ensuring its schedule. —  VNS