Vietnam Economic Times September 21 2026

Dear readers,

Under Politburo Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW, dated August 22, 2026, on developing Vietnam’s tourism into a spearhead economic sector in the new era, the country is to focus on the development of high-quality tourism products targeting high-spending, long-stay visitors, and developing medical tourism and healthcare, wellness, and recovery offerings, among others.

This orientation is entirely in line with the potential and advantages Vietnam’s tourism sector holds, paving the way to further promote the rapidly-growing wellness market in response to the increasing demand of tourists wanting to explore unique wellness resorts to reduce stress, improve overall health, and promote a healthy, environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

Globally, wellness tourism is becoming the highest value-added segment in the tourism sector. According to Grand View Research, the global wellness tourism market was valued at over $990 billion in 2025 and is expected to rise to over $1.085 trillion this year and then $2.4 trillion by 2035, for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3 per cent during the 2026-2035 period.

Proactively taking care of their health has long influenced many tourists’ choice of destination. This presents a great opportunity for Vietnam to develop wellness tourism services combining natural landscape experiences with relaxation and therapy, in accordance with the orientation set out in Politburo Resolution No. 26.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), Vietnam has been evaluated as among the countries with significant potential for developing wellness tourism, with a long coastline and many beautiful beaches stretching from the north to the south making it already favorable for resort tourism. Additionally, the country has a diverse source of medicinal plants, with some 3,850 species of plants and hundreds of folk remedies from ethnic groups such as Dao, Thai, and Muong, etc. This is a special foundation to form tourism products associated with local identity, such as herbal baths, acupuncture, acupressure, and health recovery therapy.

At the “Riding the Wave to Wellness” seminar, organized by Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam / Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy in collaboration with the Bach Thao Ngu Y Research and Development Institute on September 15 at the Linh Truong Viet Y Duong facility, within the Eureka Linh Truong Resort in north-central Thanh Hoa province, experts and many researchers agreed that resorts and other accommodation providers need to invest in infrastructure, quality human resources, and professionalism to provide healthcare services, and access modern technology to meet tourists’ experiential needs, combining traditional healthcare services with advanced technologies such as AI, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Subsequently, on September 16, at the Dai Phu An Wellness Resort in the northern province of Lao Cai, VNAT organized a seminar on the “Developing Wellness Tourism in Vietnam by 2030” project, where management agencies, experts, scientists, and businesses exchanged opinions on the current situation, potential, and development orientation of wellness tourism in Vietnam; while proposing mechanisms, policies, and solutions to complete the project. A foundation for the professional development of wellness tourism is to be gradually established, with characteristic products, high-quality services, and sustainable links, aiming to become a leading product with high added-value in Vietnam’s tourism sector.

To provide readers with the latest information on wellness tourism, our Cover Story in this edition focuses on introducing the segment with a series of articles on wellness tourism worldwide and in Vietnam, as well as the “silver economy” and the resort industry, while also further analyzing and explaining the outcomes of the two seminars on wellness tourism.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD