The event is directed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People's Committee of Hue City; co-organized by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the Vietnam Sports Administration, the Hue Department of Culture and Sports, the Hue Department of Tourism, Group 54 and the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA).
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong delivered the opening speech at the Conference.
The conference was attended by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong; Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh; Former Chairman of the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue Province/Chairman of the Vietnam Golf Association Nguyen Van Cao; Permanent Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hue City Nguyen Thanh Binh; Director of the Hue City Department of Tourism Tran Thi Hoai Tram; representatives of the leaders of the Hue City Department of Culture and Sports; General Secretary of the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA) Vu Nguyen; Founder and General Director of the 54 Group Jed Moore.
The conference was also attended by representatives of provincial and municipal leaders, golf course owners, service providers, experts, speakers, international organizations and corporations, and news agencies.
Right at the Conference, the Organizing Committee organized a donation to support the people of Hue city affected by floods.
Golf - a new driving force to bring Vietnamese tourism to international level
In his opening speech, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong emphasized that 2025 is an important time, opening up breakthrough opportunities for Vietnam's tourism and sports industry. In the first 9 months of 2025 alone, Vietnam welcomed 15.4 million international visitors, an increase of 21.5% over the same period; 119 million domestic visitors, with total revenue reaching 794 trillion VND. Vietnam has been consecutively honored as "Asia's Leading Destination" by World Travel Awards, Travel + Leisure and Forbes.
According to the Deputy Minister, Vietnam tourism is transforming towards professionalism - quality - sustainability, in which golf tourism is a unique product, contributing to raising the national image. Golf is not only a sport, but also a comprehensive economic sector, combining sports, tourism, services and infrastructure investment. Golf tourists spend 2-3 times more than regular visitors, stay longer, often combining relaxation, conferences and cultural experiences.
Leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Hue City People's Committee attended the Conference
Currently, Vietnam has nearly 90 golf courses in operation, more than 100 projects are being planned or built, many of which meet international standards and were designed by legends such as Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, and Jack Nicklaus. For 8 consecutive years, Vietnam has been honored by the World Golf Awards as “Asia’s Most Attractive Golf Destination”. The Hue - Da Nang area is emerging as the “golf capital of Southeast Asia”, strongly attracting tourists from Korea, Japan, Europe, and the Middle East.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has identified golf tourism development as a priority in the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy to 2030, considering it a high-end and sustainable tourism product. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism aims to turn golf into a bridge between sports - tourism - investment - education, aiming to build a chain of "golf destinations with Vietnamese identity".
The Deputy Minister also pointed out the challenges of the industry such as lack of master planning, unsynchronized policies, limited human resources and environmental protection requirements. The Deputy Minister called for strengthening the connection between the State - enterprises - associations - localities - international community to build a professional golf ecosystem.
Organize fundraising to support people in Hue city affected by floods
With the presence of many international experts and speakers, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong believes that the Conference will bring new ideas, new directions and practical cooperation opportunities, opening a new development chapter for the Vietnamese golf industry to be professional, sustainable and of international standard, contributing to affirming Vietnam's position as a leading sports and tourism destination in Asia in the next decade.
Permanent Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh delivered a welcome speech
In his welcoming speech, Permanent Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh said that the event is an important forum connecting managers, investors and experts to shape new development thinking for the golf industry - a field that has both sporting value and a comprehensive economic sector associated with infrastructure, culture, environment and community.
Hue has identified golf tourism as a strategic direction in its goal of becoming a “City of heritage, festivals and smart, sustainable tourism”. The locality is currently calling for investment in 11 resorts combined with golf courses, notably Laguna Lang Co Golf Club designed by the legendary Nick Faldo and BRG Golden Sands Golf Resort - a project that won the National Urban Planning Award.
Hue aims to become an international-class golf destination, and at the same time be the nucleus connecting golf development in the Central region and the whole country, focusing on quality, identity and sustainable development associated with the community and environment.
City leaders expressed their hope that the conference will be a catalyst to promote public-private cooperation, create an effective development model, and spread the value of Vietnam's golf industry.
Hue commits to accompany investors to build the image of "Hue - a heritage, friendly and classy destination" on the regional and world golf tourism map.
Vietnam Golf Tourism - New Horizons 2030
According to the Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Nguyen Trung Khanh, Vietnam is currently the fastest recovering tourist destination in ASEAN. Vietnam has been honored by WGA as the Best Golf Destination in Asia for 8 consecutive years and the Best Golf Destination in the world in 2019 and 2021. Golf tourism revenue is estimated to reach 1 billion USD in 2025, accounting for 2.7% of total national tourism revenue.
Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh speaks at the Conference
Towards the goal of sustainable development, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism proposes 6 key groups of solutions: (1) Raising awareness of the economic role of golf tourism; (2) Perfecting institutions, incentive policies and taxes; (3) Training human resources to meet international standards; (4) Applying technology, developing "green golf courses"; (5) Linking businesses and localities to build golf package products; (6) Promoting and promoting the image of Vietnam as "Asia's leading golf tourism destination".
Director Nguyen Trung Khanh believes that with comprehensive orientation and solutions, Vietnam golf tourism will make a strong breakthrough, aiming towards international standards, positively contributing to the development of the tourism industry and the country's economy.
Overview of the Conference
Mr. Jed Moore, Founder and CEO of 54 Group emphasized: “Golf is not the destination - golf is the starting point. Golf is the spearhead of the national sports strategy, can reshape the economy, enhance the national image and inspire future generations”.
He believes that Vietnam needs to use golf as a catalyst for coordination between ministries, sectors, investors and the community, aiming to make Vietnam a Global Sports Nation by 2040.
Enhanced connectivity creates a unified and premium experience
The discussions at the Conference revolved around three major focuses: Shaping Vietnam's golf strategy, Developing sustainable golf and Enhancing the 5-star golf experience towards a national ranking system. These are three important pillars guiding the 2025-2030 period, aiming to make Vietnam a leading golf destination in the world, where each golf course is a symbol of quality, culture and sustainable development.
Leaders and delegates take souvenir photos
Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh signed a souvenir at the event
The seminars were led by many national and international speakers, including representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam Golf Association, and senior leaders and experts from England Golf, the European Golf Course Owners Association, LIV Golf & Asian Tour, Toro, Club Car, Faldo Design and many other partner organizations and corporations.
Through discussion sessions such as “Vietnam Golf - Shaping Golf Strategy to 2030”, “5-Star Golf Experience - Potential to open a star rating system”, “Connecting Strengths - Joining Hands to Create Destinations” and “Building the Future of Golf Courses in Vietnam - Towards 100 New Golf Courses”, the Conference emphasized the importance of transparent governance, consistent standards and long-term development thinking.
Experts agree that the value of a destination does not lie in each individual golf course, but in the ability to connect to create a unified and classy experience, and affirm that this is the foundation for Vietnam to improve its competitiveness in the next decade.
From a media perspective, LIV Golf Ambassador Rick Shiels, a globally influential golf content creator, emphasized the role of digital media in bringing the image of Vietnamese golf closer to the international public and the younger generation. The idea that “golf must become a part of life, not just a sport” is considered a suitable approach for the new era.
Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/thuc-day-hop-tac-dua-viet-nam-tro-thanh-diem-den-du-lich-golf-hang-dau-the-gioi-20251031143244783.htm
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