July 9, 2025 marks a proud historic milestone for Vietnam’s tourism sector – 65 years of continuous development, overcoming challenges, and progressively affirming its position as one of the country’s key economic industries. On this special occasion, on July 8, representatives of the ST4SD project including Mr. Pham Van Luong – Country Director of Helvetas Vietnam, Mr. Olivier Messer – Project Team Leader, and Mr. Vu Nam – Component Manager for Public–Private Cooperation, visited and extended their congratulations directly to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism. We would like to warmly congratulate and sincerely thank all officials, civil servants, and workers who have contributed and continue to contribute to the development of Vietnam’s tourism.
In his congratulatory message, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung recognized tourism as one of the core pillars of the national economy. From 250,000 international visitors in 1990, Vietnam welcomed 18 million visitors in 2019, with the tourism sector contributing over 9.2% to the national GDP. Tourism has also served as a bridge for people-to-people diplomacy, promoting the image of a peaceful, friendly, and globally integrated Vietnam.
In 2024, tourism continued to be a bright spot in Vietnam’s socio-economic landscape, welcoming 17.6 million international visitors and 110 million domestic travelers, with total tourism revenue reaching 840 trillion VND. The sector made strong strides in institutional and policy development, digital transformation, and national branding. Vietnam received numerous international tourism awards, reinforcing its regional and global standing. Promotional efforts broke new ground with creative initiatives such as film tourism, agricultural tourism, railway tourism, and expanded presence at global tourism fairs and major media platforms like CNN. The tourism industry also led in digital transformation, launching a smart tourism ecosystem and integrated platforms for management and business that enhanced visitor experiences. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation was expanded, affirming Vietnam’s proactive and integrative role in the region and the world. Vietnam was also among the fastest-recovering countries in ASEAN post-COVID-19.
Despite these proud achievements, the tourism industry still faces significant challenges. Past rapid growth revealed limitations in destination management, environmental pressures, and imbalanced community benefits. Most notably, the shortage of professionally trained human resources remains an obstacle. In the wake of COVID-19, the need to restructure the sector toward sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation has become more pressing than ever. Current tourism policies are now oriented toward sustainable development, aligning with the sector’s 65-year journey.
In response, the Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development (ST4SD) project was designed and implemented to support Vietnam’s tourism in developing sustainably, with quality and global competitiveness. The project is funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and implemented by Helvetas and CRED in close collaboration with the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism from 2024 to 2027.
Three Strategic Components – Foundations for Sustainable Development
ST4SD is built on three interlinked strategic components:
Promoting Public–Private Partnerships
ST4SD establishes policy dialogue platforms between policymakers, businesses, and national and international experts to support the development of sustainable tourism strategies and policies at both national and local levels. These dialogues help connect strategic vision with practical implementation, fostering consensus and the dissemination of best practices.
Developing High-Quality Human Resources
In collaboration with the EHL Hospitality Business School (Switzerland), ST4SD implements the Swiss EHT program-an internationally recognized training program in tourism and hospitality management. The project also supports capacity-building for Vietnamese training institutions to enhance the quality of tourism graduates and strengthen international integration.
Developing Sustainable Products and Destinations
ST4SD encourages and supports tourism businesses and destinations in building innovative and sustainable tourism models. Green standards, community-based models, and local products are integrated into destination development strategies in pilot provinces such as Ha Giang (now part of Tuyen Quang), Quang Nam (now under Da Nang City), and Dong Thap.
Notable Contributions in the First Year
In its first year of implementation, ST4SD delivered several concrete and impactful initiatives:
- Successfully organized two Green Tourism Conferences in Quang Nam (2024 and 2025), gathering over 200 experts, managers, and businesses to share and promote green tourism models and policies, positioning Quang Nam as a hub of innovation.
- Collaborated to organize sustainable tourism training sessions in Ha Giang and for officials from VNAT, helping enhance capacity and transfer international knowledge for tourism development in mountainous and culturally specific regions.
- Launched the first training courses of the Swiss EHT program in Ho Chi Minh City, opening up high-quality training opportunities and contributing to the development of a new generation of tourism managers in Vietnam.
- Supported the development of community-based tourism and innovation models in the three pilot provinces, enabling destination development that aligns with cultural and environmental conservation while enhancing local livelihoods.
Long-Term Vision – A Commitment to Vietnam’s Tourism Future
ST4SD is not just a technical assistance project, but a long-term commitment by the Swiss Government and international partners to Vietnam’s tourism future. With a multidimensional approach that places people at the center and emphasizes sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity, ST4SD aims to build a “new tourism ecosystem” where policies, people, and businesses work together under a shared vision: quality development, responsibility, and international integration.
Over the past 65 years, Vietnam’s tourism has demonstrated immense potential and resilience. ST4SD believes that with the right investments, forward-thinking policies, and support from a high-quality workforce, Vietnam’s tourism industry can rise to global prominence-not only in visitor numbers, but also in the quality of experiences, cultural value, and contribution to sustainable development.
We wish Vietnam’s tourism industry continued strength, innovation, and growth in the next chapter of its journey. ST4SD will remain a committed partner, sharing and promoting the values of sustainable tourism throughout Vietnam.