Lam Dong Tourism Shifts Focus from “Quantity” to “Value”
Beyond rising visitor numbers, Lam Dong’s tourism sector recorded impressive revenue growth in the first four months of 2026.
From Visitor Volume to Revenue Momentum
According to the socio-economic report for the first four months of 2026 released by the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee, the local trade and service sectors maintained steady and significant growth.
Total retail sales of goods and revenue from consumer services in the first four months were estimated at VND 63,725.4 billion, up 15.33 percent from the same period last year. The figures show strong growth across key service segments, with accommodation, food and travel services reaching VND 12,510 billion, up 20.89 percent, and other services totaling VND 11,377.6 billion, an increase of 12.63 percent.
The tourism industry, in particular, showed clear signs of recovery and robust expansion. The province saw a significant influx of visitors during two successive major public holidays: the Hung Kings Commemoration Festival and the April 30 – May 1 long weekend. During the holiday period, visitor arrivals totaled approximately 970,000 across the province, including an estimated 35,000 international visitors. Total tourism revenue reached about VND 2,188 billion.
These figures show that Lam Dong’s tourism sector is not only recording strong visitor growth but also generating positive revenue momentum.
This distinction is important. For a province that identifies tourism as a key economic sector, visitor numbers alone only partly reflect a destination’s appeal. Revenue, length of stay, average spending and the spillover effects on other service sectors are more meaningful indicators of the quality of tourism growth.
The results show that tourism promotion and marketing have been actively implemented through the digitalization of destinations, international cooperation and participation in major domestic and overseas events. A range of promotional activities and stimulus programs have also been organized, helping attract both domestic and international visitors.
The province has also focused on investment and the diversification of tourism products and services to meet the evolving needs of travelers. These achievements show that Lam Dong tourism is maintaining its market appeal while steadily improving the quality of its development.
Growth Must Go Hand in Hand with Destination Quality
A notable highlight in Lam Dong’s tourism performance during the first four months is not merely the number of visitors, but the province’s ability to convert those arrivals into revenue.
With VND 12.51 trillion in revenue from accommodation, food and tourism services in the first four months, the tourism industry has shown a clear spillover effect across the service, trade, transport, food and beverage, retail and local product sectors. However, the challenge facing Lam Dong is not merely to handle visitor surges during holidays and festivals, but to turn this short-term appeal into stable, year-round growth.
Currently, the province has 4,259 tourist accommodation establishments with a total of 67,536 rooms, along with 99 tourist areas, sites and attractions. This infrastructure provides an important foundation for Lam Dong to improve service quality, diversify tourism offerings and expand its capacity to receive visitors.
According to Nguyen Lan Ngoc, deputy director of the Lam Dong Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the sector will focus on organizing major tourism, cultural and sporting events in the final months of the year while developing new, high-quality tourism products based on the province’s strengths in natural resources, culture and heritage.
At a working session with the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and tourism associations on May 6, Party Central Committee member, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee Ho Van Muoi, emphasized that tourism is a key driver for the province to achieve its double-digit GRDP growth target.
He said the tourism industry must clearly identify its target markets, strengthen investment promotion and develop products more professionally. He also urged the sector to address the shortage of entertainment and experiential offerings and improve regional connectivity.
The provincial government will stand side by
side with stakeholders by creating a favorable environment, mechanisms and key attractions to draw investment. At the same time, businesses must renew their mindsets and improve service quality to jointly build a green, clean and beautiful brand for Lam Dong tourism.Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy
Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee Ho Van Muoi
Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee also suggested developing new tourism models, including sports tourism, wellness retreats and the night-time economy. He recommended studying and organizing art and music performances infused with local cultural identity to enrich the visitor experience.
In preparation for the peak summer season of 2026, Lam Dong is launching a series of activities under the “Greeting Summer Tourism 2026” program. The province is also accelerating digital transformation in the tourism sector through smart tourism platforms, electronic payments, contactless check-ins and the “New Lam Dong” tourism app with integrated AR/VR technology.
These results show that tourism is becoming a vital driver of the province’s service sector growth. However, to ensure sustainable development, Lam Dong is shifting its focus from increasing visitor numbers to increasing the value generated per visitor.
With renewed products, upgraded infrastructure, a steady calendar of events and stronger digital transformation efforts, Lam Dong’s tourism sector is expected not only to attract more visitors but also to generate higher revenue, contributing significantly to the province’s economic growth targets for 2026.
For the second quarter of 2026, Lam Dong aims to welcome more than 6.2 million visitors. In the second half of the year, the figure is projected to exceed 12 million, including more than 830,000 international arrivals. For the full year, the province has set a target of serving more than 25 million visitors, including 1.58 million international tourists.