Switzerland supports Vietnam in sustainable tourism development

July 03, 2023 | 09:10

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The successful model of Switzerland will be applied intelligently through the consultation and support of nine projects in Swiss tourism for the sustainable development in Vietnam.

The ST4SD project is funded by Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) from 2023-2027.

Switzerland supports Vietnam in sustainable tourism development

Do Quang Huy, representative of SECO, said that Switzerland was a lesson in sustainable tourism development and had many similarities in terms of landscapes and diverse cultures that we can learn from.

“Tourism development without the participation of the private sector is like medical development without the participation of doctors. I believe that the policy of encouraging the contribution of the private sector is the decisive factor for the success of the sustainable tourism project,” he said.

At the consultation meeting for the development of project documents ST4SD in Quang Ninh on June 26, Ha Van Sieu, deputy general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said that this was timely support as Vietnam’s tourism industry is endeavouring to bounce back from the pandemic.

Tourism training institutions in Switzerland are known to be prestigious vocational skills training schools, in fields of hospitality management, restaurant management and food processing, travel and tourism, and are chosen by many Vietnamese students.

The VNAT’s deputy general director expects that, with the sponsorship of the Swiss government, the advanced tourism development and management experienced, through this project, will be transferred to Vietnam’s tourism industry.

The ST4SD project focuses on developing policies and plans for sustainable tourism development in line with the needs of Vietnam.

Through this project, local businesses, and communities, who are directly involved in the tourism industry, will have opportunities to raise awareness, build capacity, and change behaviours to protect, manage, and build a more diverse ecological environment.

The project also focuses on developing sustainable tourism products and business models. The project aims at the ultimate goal of developing sustainable, comprehensive, circular tourism that links with nature conservation, while improving quality of life.

Kenneth Wood, director of ST4SD said, “Four years is a short time when it comes to sustainable tourism, but I believe it will create a steppingstone to promote Vietnam’s tourism industry to develop more sustainably. We will help Vietnam build a mechanism so that after the project ends, the project’s partners continue to implement and help its life cycle continue.”

The project is proposed at an important time for Vietnam’s tourism industry when the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy and the Vietnam Tourism Marketing Strategy, until 2030 have been approved.

Helvetas Vietnam and the Centre for Rural Economy Development, assigned to implement the project, are coordinating with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to develop a project document and submit it to the leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for approval.