Pham Ha is the CEO and founder of Luxury Travel Ltd. He is also a travel guru, tourism speaker, writer, consultant and one of the leading designers of luxury tourism industry training programs. 

"Besides having a passion for travelling, reading, walking, biking and golf, I love to seek luxury," he admits.

He's not alone. As Vietnam's economy strengthens, the tourism industry is inevitably expanding its own horizons. Once considered more of a backpacker destination, now with growing high-end options, Vietnam is attracting a different kind of tourists.

Options might still be considered limited, and infrastructure below international standards, but that's where Ha's company steps in. On a mission to promote the luxurious side of Vietnam, Ha hopes to coax more high-end travelers and business people to the country.

But that doesn't mean just booking five-star hotels and fancy dinners for a whirlwind tour along Vietnam's coastline. He admits he's haunted by one former clients' indifferent dismissal of Vietnam as "beautiful but boring," so his company goes the whole nine yards to ensure customers have the holiday of a lifetime.

The philosophy of Luxury Travel is to provide top quality services, unique experiences, sophistication and perfect packages for the most discerning of travellers. Ha knows that to have a dream vacation the traveller must experience pleasure, comfort and total satisfaction, and that luxury travel is being redefined as experiential.

Whether the client wants to hide in the tropical jungle, kick back on the beach, discover Vietnam's culinary delights, trek to a hill tribe village or relax in style in a luxury vacation villa, Luxury Travel Vietnam will come up with the goods, minimizing travel time and maximizing experiences.

"Simply envision any vacation experience you want, name it, and we will deliver it in style, that's Luxury Travel," Ha stresses.

As a child, Ha had always dreamed of travelling around the world. After graduating from Hanoi Teachers’ Training College and National Economics University, Ha worked as a teacher, but soon, wanderlust set in and he quit teaching to take a job as a tour guide, tour operator, PR, sales and marketing man. Ha also speaks 3 foreign languages.

After 12 years in the industry, Pham Ha founded his own business in 2004, providing luxury bespoke tours in Vietnam. Besides providing sightseeing tours, Luxury Travel also arranges accommodation, airport transfers, regional flights, train tickets, visas, superior guides and other logistics in advance.

"With our team of both locals and expatriates, we aim to give travelers what they want, anticipate what they might need and do the seemingly impossible in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand."Ha says.

The company's luxury travel advisors and guides speak Vietnamese, Chinese, English, French, Spanish and German and are selected for their open-mindedness, motivation and enthusiasm. Each of the guides must be an expert traveler and know how to make the client’s travel experience truly special, completely hassle-free, and personally enriching.

"It may be my fate. Firstly, I do this because I want to satisfy my passion to discover," says Ha. "But it's also my pleasure to introduce the beauty of Vietnam to foreigners."

To turn a private passion into a tourist business, Pham Ha had to be patient.

"In the beginning, I had 12 years of work experience but not so much money!" says Ha with a smile.

Despite his meager savings of $1,000, Ha was determined to pursue his dream. Now nine years later, his company employs 60 luxury travel advisors and top guides, owns a fleet of Mercedes, luxury cruisers and has offices in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang and management offices around Southeast Asia.

The company works through travel agents and tour operators around the world, and has representative offices in California, Montevideo, London, Paris, Berlin, and a joint-venture company in Brisbane, Australia.

At his office, Core values states "At Luxury Travel Ltd., people are always our top priority and concern, because we too are people working in the tourism and service industry, and we are proud to be a part of one of the first luxury travel companies in Vietnam.

Luxury travel is being redefined as experiential, and we provide great experiences for our guests. Customers are the greatest asset of our ethical business, and customer care is at the heart of what we do.

Education and continuous innovation are the lifeblood of our company. We respect each other and welcome individual differences, so that each person can contribute their unique views and skills to the organization.

Luxury Travel Ltd. is a company filled with friendship, pride and peak professional performance. All "luxers" are devoted to Luxury Travel Ltd. and great things happen when we join together side by side to achieve our goals!”

"I love my country and its destinations, and I do my best to make sure that my customers feel the same way," says Ha.

Ha aims to introduce a contemporary Vietnam, a country that is young, dynamic and exotic. Beyond the cyclos, pho and ao dai, Vietnam is gaining a reputation for its breathtaking beaches, luxurious resorts and golf courses.

"It's not difficult to find luxury world class hotels. Now is the time for upscale travelers and MICE to come to Vietnam,"says Ha.  "With a base of iconic properties like the Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi, a fast-growing list of modern luxury and spa destinations, recently opened golf courses and the launch of luxury train service to ease the pain of traveling its antiquated and congested roads, Vietnam is now one of the top destinations in Southeast Asia, and luxury is the fastest-growing segment.

An average lavish tour, he says, will run from $2,500 to $3,500 per person for a seven-day tour, although many are priced at more than $1,000 per day, per visitor.  So what are some of Ha's top picks for staying and doing in Vietnam? He says his personal favorite is Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Nha Trang.

"But I find that the top five that seem to leave clients in awe are the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel, La Residence Hue Hotel and Spa, the Nam Hai in Hoi An, the Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel and Six Senses Con Dao," he said.

Luxury travel is a matter of all, not just hotels, but the next upcoming destination in Vietnam is the archipelago of Con Dao, he says, with its intimate villas resort and undeveloped beaches.

"Six Senses Con Dao has everything you might want, like a much larger resort, but it is limited to a smaller clientele, with fewer rooms and suites, guaranteeing exclusivity," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, the French Minister, the Oman Royal Family and Ministers of Oman and ambassadors of many countries were among the VIP guests of the company. At Ha's office, there is a visitors’ book which is filled with entries by satisfied customers.

 "We recently returned from our wonderful 15 day journey to Vietnam and Cambodia arranged by Luxury Travel Vietnam. We can't thank you enough for providing such an excellent travel experience for us from start to finish." writes Pamela Solvang.

"The three of us on this trip have all traveled extensively, all around the world. We have used the best luxury travel companies in the US and elsewhere and can attest that Luxury Travel provides excellent services!"

Attention to detail sums up Ha's approach very well. He knows high-end travelers don't settle for below standard services.  Even if Vietnam is still a developing country, tours must run smoothly. That is why Luxury Travel (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) has won numerous travel awards for excellent performance over 9 years.

As Vietnam continues to assert its presence on the world stage, the number of visitors is surging and Ha is confidently waiting, ready to accommodate those who are looking to bask in the lap of luxury.

"As one of the first high-end tour operators in the luxury tourism industry in Vietnam, we not only want to capitalize on our position, but also to develop and grow from it."  Pham Ha reveals.

 "Through joint-ventures and buying small niche companies in the luxury services industry, we are striving to be able to provide top notch luxury services in Vietnam and elsewhere. Our vision is to become the leading tour operator and DMC in Vietnam by our anniversary in 2020 and one of the Asia's leading luxury tour operators, with a potential IPO thereafter."