The “Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development in Vietnam” (ST4SD) project, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and jointly implemented by HELVETAS Vietnam and CRED Tourism & Agriculture Solution Consulting Company Limited (CRED TAC), is pleased to welcome Mr. Olivier Messmer as its new Team Leader, starting in May 2025.
With over 20 years of international experience in sustainable tourism development, Mr. Messmer brings deep expertise in nature- and culture-based tourism, destination management, and tourism policy reform. Throughout his career, he has successfully led multiple large-scale initiatives funded by development partners such as USAID, GIZ, SECO, the World Bank, and others.
Most recently, from 2020 to 2024, Mr. Messmer served as Chief of Party for the USAID Integrated Management of Cultural Tourism (IMCT) Activity in Egypt. There, he led a team of 20 full-time professionals in close collaboration with both heritage authorities and private sector stakeholders. His leadership contributed to strengthening institutional capacity, promoting authentic and experiential tourism, and creating a stronger enabling environment for responsible private investment.
Mr. Messmer’s earlier work with the Smithsonian Institution’s “My Armenia” program is a prime example of how he has successfully integrated tourism development with cultural preservation and local economic empowerment. Under his guidance, the program helped Armenian communities harness their unique heritage as a means to generate inclusive, sustainable livelihoods.
His portfolio also includes extensive experience in regulatory reform and destination management, particularly during his time working with GIZ and the Ministry of Nature Protection in Morocco. There, he supported the development of improved governance mechanisms and frameworks to promote community-based tourism and environmental sustainability.
Across his career, Mr. Messmer has taken on three terms as Chief of Party for USAID-funded tourism projects in Morocco, Egypt, and Armenia. In each of these roles, he demonstrated exceptional leadership in managing multicultural teams and building strong partnerships with government ministries, private sector actors, and international development agencies. His practical understanding of local contexts, combined with a global development perspective, make him a valuable asset to the ST4SD project as it enters a critical phase of implementation.
Mr. Messmer joins ST4SD at a time when the project is intensifying its support to local governments and tourism stakeholders in designing and scaling up sustainable tourism models across Vietnam. His proven track record in working across cultures, navigating complex institutional landscapes, and delivering impactful results aligns well with ST4SD’s mission to strengthen Vietnam’s tourism governance and support innovation, sustainability, and inclusive economic growth.
On joining the project, Mr. Messmer shared:
“I am honored to contribute to sustainable tourism development in Vietnam. The country possesses extraordinary cultural and natural assets, and it is essential that we work together—across sectors and levels—to unlock this potential in a way that benefits local communities and preserves the country’s unique heritage for future generations.”