In a draft project for “Medical Tourism Development for 2026-2030,” that was submitted on October 21 by the Ministry of Health to relevant ministries for feedback, the ministry has proposed to select and develop key medical tourism destinations across eight major provinces and cities to tap into international market demand.
The proposed destinations includes Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Hue, Khanh Hoa, and An Giang (Phu Quoc).
Additional localities may also be considered based on the quality of their healthcare services, tourism assets, transportation links, and hospitality infrastructure.
The draft frames medical tourism as an interdisciplinary mission combining healthcare, tourism, and related services to leverage Vietnam’s medical expertise, traditional medicine, cultural heritage, and competitive costs. Implementation will follow a phased roadmap, evaluating and selectively scaling effective operating models.
Vietnam aims to offer competitive medical tourism packages, including general health checkups, early disease screening, dental care, reproductive support, specialized clinical treatments, traditional medicine, rehabilitation, and senior wellness care.
By 2030, the project targets having at least 20 hospitals achieve international quality certification, including at least five public facilities.
A standardized patient journey will govern international patient care before, during, and after medical treatment. This framework includes multilingual support, transparent pricing, appointment scheduling, treatment management, follow-up care, and emergency response.
To achieve these goals, the draft outlines five priority task groups:
First, perfecting legal frameworks and coordination mechanisms. This involves reviewing regulations on medical examination, entry visas, pricing, insurance, investment, and data privacy. The government plans to streamline visa policies, entry procedures, and stay extensions for foreign patients and their caregivers.
Second, developing core products and destinations. Authorities will evaluate hospital capacity, staff qualifications, language support, and regional tourism infrastructure. Resource allocation will prioritize key regions rather than spreading investments thinly across all territories.
Third, improving service quality, patient safety, and human resource training. Development plans emphasize specialized medical terminology, cross-cultural communication, medical translation, international customer service, and cross-border insurance handling.
Fourth, building a national medical tourism brand and expanding target markets. Strategic international markets will be selected based on travel connectivity, purchasing power, insurance compatibility, and existing diplomatic ties with Vietnam.
Fifth, mobilizing investment resources and fostering international cooperation. Vietnam will diversify funding sources through public-private partnerships (PPP), corporate investments, and international cooperation, while prioritizing state budget support for policy formulation, standards development, market research, and global brand promotion.
Google translate