The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and Mastercard announce a strategic partnership to boost the growth of Vietnam’s tourism industry, May 8, 2026. Photo: Nguyen Hien / Tuoi Tre
In 2025, Vietnam welcomed a record 21 million international visitors, marking a 20-percent increase compared to 2024, while serving 137 million travelers.
Its total tourism revenue reached VND1 quadrillion (US$38 billion).
Vietnam has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-recovering tourism markets, significantly outperforming the global tourism growth average of five percent and the Asia-Pacific regional average of eight percent.
Tourism has become a bright spot in the nation’s socio-economic landscape.
Speaking at a ceremony to announce the partnership on Friday, Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the authority, said Vietnam has introduced a range of strategic policies aimed at transforming tourism into an economic spearhead characterized by rapid, sustainable and professional development.
Tourism extends far beyond accommodation and sightseeing services, offering seamless, safe, personalized and comprehensive experiences to travelers.
He emphasized the need for the tourism industry to accelerate technology adoption, improve data utilization and develop a smart, interconnected tourism ecosystem.
“The partnership between the authority and Mastercard aligns with Vietnam’s long-term tourism development strategy and highlights the important role of public-private cooperation in mobilizing resources, technology, and international expertise for sustainable tourism growth,” Khanh said.
The cooperation would not only enhance tourism management, destination marketing and product development, but also create new momentum for the tourism sector to contribute more significantly to economic growth, he stressed.
Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, speaks at a ceremony to announce the partnership with Mastercard. Photo: Nguyen Hien / Tuoi Tre
David Mann, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at Mastercard, described Vietnam as one of the region’s most compelling and successful tourism recovery stories.
As tourism across Asia-Pacific continues to expand rapidly, Vietnam is steadily strengthening its position as one of the region’s most dynamic travel markets, he noted.
“Through this partnership, we aim to leverage our global network, data and technology capabilities to deliver more seamless and secure travel experiences for visitors,” said Richard Wormald, president for Asia-Pacific at Mastercard.
“We believe this cooperation will help Vietnam further enhance its competitiveness and become a leading destination for travelers from across the region and around the world,” he added.
Under the deal, the authority and Mastercard will cooperate in several key areas, including promoting Vietnam as an attractive tourist destination, implementing multi-channel marketing campaigns, advancing digital transformation and tourism technologies, organizing workshops and knowledge-sharing programs, and enhancing training and capacity building.
