This is an important event on the sidelines of the 56th Greater Mekong Subregion Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting and related conferences in Vietnam taking place in Ninh Binh.
The conference attracted 100 delegates from GMS member countries. The delegates represented national tourism agencies, associations, tourism businesses operating in the field of sustainable tourism development, and important GMS partners such as the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the Asian Ecotourism Network. Experts from Switzerland, a leading country in sustainable tourism, participated in sharing experiences on international standards.
Together with regional partners, the Conference discussed and shared experiences on sustainable tourism development of GMS countries and Switzerland to balance economic growth, social benefits and environmental protection.
Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration Ha Van Sieu attended the conference (Photo: TITC)
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu expressed his gratitude for the support of the Swiss Government through SECO for the Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development Project in Vietnam (ST4SD), along with the companionship of Helvetas Vietnam and international organizations in promoting sustainable tourism.
According to Deputy Director Ha Van Sieu, Vietnam continues to affirm its position as a leading destination in the region. In 2024, Vietnam was honored by the World Travel Awards as Top destinations in Asia and Asia's top natural destination .
The number of international visitors to Vietnam in 2024 will reach 17.6 million, up 39.5% compared to 2023. In the first 10 months of 2025, Vietnam welcomed 17.2 million international visitors, up 21.5% over the same period last year. This result is said to come from a more open visa policy, strong direction from the Government and the promotion of sustainable tourism models.
Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu speaks at the conference (Photo: TITC)
After more than 30 years of cooperation, tourism has become one of the important pillars promoting economic development and connectivity in the GMS region. However, the industry still faces challenges such as climate change, infrastructure pressure, uneven benefit sharing and heritage conservation requirements.
The adoption GMS Tourism Development Strategy to 2030 is considered an important milestone for the new development phase, towards a green, sustainable and connected GMS. “This conference is an opportunity for member countries and international experts to share experiences, discuss solutions and propose specific actions to put the strategy into practice,” Deputy Director Ha Van Sieu emphasized.
On this occasion, Vietnam made a number of proposals, including: (1) Develop an action framework based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Standards (GSTC) to build a common image of the GMS as a green, sustainable and responsible destination. (2) National tourism agencies of GMS countries commit to supporting businesses and stakeholders to implement sustainable development policies, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the GSTC standards. (3) Vietnam will coordinate with GMS countries through MTCO to complete a report synthesizing agreed proposals, in order to continue cooperation and mutual support in sustainable tourism development. (4) The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is reporting to the Government on strengthening policies to promote sustainable tourism, towards the goal of Net Zero by 2050. In early December 2025, Vietnam will organize the National Green Tourism Forum to implement green transformation policies in the tourism industry.
Director of the Trade Promotion Department, Swiss Economic Directorate General Etienne Jenni speaks at the conference (Photo: TITC)
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Etienne Jenni, Director of the Swiss Trade Promotion Agency, Directorate General for Economic Affairs, emphasized that tourism is a transformative industry, contributing to the preservation of identity, heritage and promoting livelihoods, especially in rural areas. However, uncoordinated growth can put pressure on the environment - a core factor in creating the attractiveness of a destination. He emphasized that tourism and climate change are closely linked, and sustainable development must be based on innovation, cooperation and long-term commitment.
Director of Trade Promotion, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs The Greater Mekong Subregion is considered to have great potential but is also vulnerable to climate change and tourism growth pressures. Therefore, new models of destination management and transnational cooperation are needed to achieve sustainable development goals.
Ninh Binh is mentioned as a typical example of sustainable tourism, when the locality effectively combines landscape conservation, community tourism development and cultural value enhancement.
He also shared his impressions of community tourism models, organic farming and women-led initiatives in Hoi An - evidence that sustainability is being realized every day. Simple solutions such as solar power, waste reduction or resource saving can create real change if replicated and integrated into local tourism strategies.
Conference delegates take souvenir photo (Photo: TITC)
Mr. Etienne Jenni said that the Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development Project (ST4SD) is supporting Vietnam in two key areas: (1) Strengthening tourism governance, building standards and models for sustainable growth; (2) Developing human resources through training programs for leadership and management of tourism and hospitality.
Director of Trade Promotion, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs affirmed: “Today’s conference is not only a milestone but also a call to action. Switzerland will continue to accompany Vietnam and GMS countries on the journey to build a green, inclusive and sustainable tourism industry.”
Mr. Bui Van Manh, Director of Ninh Binh Department of Tourism, shared at the conference that Ninh Binh is a land rich in historical and cultural values with a diverse ecosystem including mountains, caves, primeval forests, wetlands and a treasure trove of more than 5,000 relics. The most prominent is Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex - the only mixed world heritage site in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. From this foundation, Ninh Binh has strongly developed to become a leading heritage - ecological tourism center, loved by tourists for its peace and identity.
Director of Ninh Binh Department of Tourism Bui Van Manh speaks at the conference (Photo: TITC)
In the first ten months of 2025, Ninh Binh welcomed 17.5 million visitors, including 1.72 million international visitors, with revenue of more than VND 19,000 billion. The destination has been honored many times by international organizations such as Booking.com, Forbes and World Travel Awards.
Mr. Manh affirmed that as an active member of GMS, Ninh Binh is steadfast in its orientation towards green and sustainable tourism, enhancing cooperation, developing products associated with heritage, applying digital transformation and international connections. With a spirit of openness and responsibility, Ninh Binh wishes to work with GMS countries to build a Mekong heritage connection route, contributing to promoting green growth and enhancing the position of the entire region.
Overview of the conference (Photo: TITC)
At the conference, there were two in-depth discussion sessions: The first session was on Knowledge and experience in sustainable tourism development in GMS countries. Delegates enthusiastically discussed effective tourism development models, international standards that need to be applied, ways to mobilize resources and promote international cooperation in this field. The second session discussed the GMS Vision and Actions for sustainable tourism development, aiming to shape the vision and ambitious common goals until 2030, and clearly define the coordinating role of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) and the active participation of all stakeholders in implementing the common strategy of the region.
Speakers from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Switzerland, gave a presentation at the conference (Photo: TITC)
The Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) presented at the conference (Photo: TITC)
In-depth discussion sessions at the conference (Photo: TITC)
Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/viet-nam-dong-gop-tich-cuc-vao-phat-trien-du-lich-ben-vung-trong-hop-tac-tieu-vung-me-cong-mo-rong-20251118150606247.htm
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