Speaking at the seminar, Vice Chairman of VNAT Ha Van Sieu affirmed that innovation in tourism products would help improve values of tourism resources and create added values. The innovation can make differences in competitive advantages among countries, particularly in the context of global integration and Industrial Revolution 4.0.

Innovative tourism products can contribute to reducing overload in popular destinations and distribute tourism spaces. However, Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu impressed the innovation and sustainability must go hand in hand.

Sharing about potentials of innovative tourism development in Viet Nam, Mr. Jason Lusk – Director of Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism said that Viet Nam has been becoming an attractive destination for international visitors and has been recorded as one of the countries with the fastest growth in tourist arrivals in the region and the world. He reckoned that tourism product development need to be associated with environmental protection, and eco-tourism and discovery tours should be prioritized.

Viet Nam received nearly 13 million international arrivals in 2017, increasing 29% over 2016; and more than 10 million international arrivals in the first 8 months of 2018, up 22.8% over same period last year. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), in 2017, Viet Nam jumped eight grades in travel and tourism competitiveness index compared to 2015.

Many Vietnamese tourism enterprises are providing innovative tourism products and services such as eco-tourism linked with nature-based activities (jogging, boating, fishing, etc.), homestay linked with experiencing local people’s life; application of technology in expanding tourist markets, etc.

Attending the seminar, delegates agreed that innovation in tourism development plays a key role in sustainable development for businesses in particular and Viet Nam tourism in general.

Thanh Tam