Promoting health tourism in Vietnam

The seminar was co-organised by the Vietnam Tour Guides Association (VTGA), WE Fusion JSC and Sao Thai Duong JSC, with the aim of finding ways to promote health tourism as a viable economic sector.

Health tourism has been growing in popularity in developed countries for some time and is currently becoming a global tourism trend. Tourists are increasingly seeking travel combined with healthcare, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vietnam's healthcare services offer competitive pricing compared to other Asian countries, while medical facilities meet international standards with highly qualified personnel. Vietnam also possesses ancient and effective traditional medical practices, with many indigenous herbal remedies proven to bring health benefits.

"Vietnam has strengths in herbal medicines, essential oils, and traditional techniques that aid in recovery and health enhancement. This upholds Vietnam's identity, elevates the value of traditional medicine, and attracts domestic and international tourists," said Nguyen Thi Huong Lien, vice chairwoman of Sao Thai Duong.

Despite the many advantages, health tourism in Vietnam remains limited and lacks diversity. Not many healthcare service providers have achieved the scale and quality of standards to cater to high-net-worth visitors. Most existing facilities are small-scale, with limited human resources, infrastructure, and services that only meet the basic needs of tourists.

Associate professor Dr. Pham Hong Long from Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities emphasised the crucial role of interconnectivity, especially between service providers and travel companies. "Stakeholders need to collaborate to build products that meet the healing and holistic healthcare needs – both physical and mental – of locals and visitors," said Long.

During the event, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed among four parties. They are the VTGA, Sao Thai Duong JSC, Cody International Pharmaceutical JSC, and WE Fusion JSC. The agreement hopes to make the development of traditional medicine tours easier and introduce an e-commerce platform connecting travel companies and tour guides with different tourism products and services.

"This signing lays the groundwork for the standardisation of and professionalism in the health tourism sector," said Truong Thi Bich Ngoc, CEO of WE Fusion

WE Fusion's e-commerce platform will connect travel companies with suppliers of tourism products, initially focusing on healthcare products from Sao Thai Duong JSC.

The VTGA will collaborate with the e-commerce platform, travel companies, and tour guides to deliver better experiences for tourists and attract more international visitors to Vietnam.

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