History

• Tourism in Vietnam has been gaining momentum since the 1990s when economic reform, entry into ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) and better relations with the U.S.--including the first visit by a U.S. President to reunified Vietnam (in 2000, by Bill Clinton)--helped attract more travelers to the country.
  
  

The Facts

• Vietnam is a country of 83 million people and three major cities with international airports. In 2006, when 3.8 million foreigners visited Vietnam annually, a five-year tourism plan was launched aiming for 6 million foreign visitors by 2010. In 2008 there were 4.2 million international visitors recorded.
  
  

Types

• People visit Vietnam for both cultural inspiration and adventure trips. Caravan tours and eco-tourism are two of the fastest-growing types of tourism. Popular sights and activities include boat trips, cities, bike rides, pagodas, the Mekong Delta, museums, the café scene, artisan village tours, hikes/treks, markets, beaches, Ha Long Bay (a UNESCO national heritage site) and even tailor shops.
  
  

Potential

• Tourism holds huge potential for Vietnam, where the average earning is still the equivalent of $1 a day. Opportunities in the tourism sector include improving the national strategy, giving more attention to product development, making human resources more efficient and beefing up marketing, said Nguyen Van Tuan, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, in a 2009 VNAT press release. He added that Vietnamese tourism will be looking to both foreign and domestic investment capital for these initiatives.
  
  

Considerations

• Americans traveling to Vietnam need to secure a visa in advance of travel. It can be done online and through any Vietnamese consulate or embassy. Prices range from $40 to $65. Travelers may need to present additional passport photos upon arrival in Vietnam, depending on their type of visa.