Along with a vision of sustainable and inclusive tourism development based on green growth, Vietnam’s tourism development strategy until 2030 has particularly emphasised developing tourism by promoting the application of the achievements of the fourth industrial revolution. This further affirms the importance of green and digital transformation to sustainable tourism development.
The Vietnam International Travel Mart attracts a large number of visitors.
Amid the rapid development of the fourth industrial revolution, searching for travel information in the digital environment is increasingly common, and independent travel is becoming more prevalent. Instead of purchasing all-inclusive tours from travel agencies as before, many tourists are developing a habit of independently searching for and booking online travel services.
This trend has led to a demand for personalised tourism experiences, with tourists’ growing requirements for sustainable and responsible tourism. This reality requires tourism businesses to undergo digital and green transformations to improve customer accessibility and meet tourist demands.
Digital transformation in tourism facilitates the transition from traditional management, business and marketing models to more modern data-driven ones to improve efficiency, competitiveness and tourist experiences.
Meanwhile, green transformation, through implementing emission reduction solutions and efficient, economical use of natural resources, holds particular significance for environmental protection and biodiversity conservation.
Although carrying different implications, experts suggest that digital and green transformations in tourism are closely interconnected. Digital transformation provides tools to promote green growth while implementing green activities, helping promote the sustainable application of digital solutions.
Nguyen Le Phuc, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Authority Tourism (VNAT), affirmed that establishing a synchronised, unified smart tourism ecosystem through digital transformation will create strong momentum for the tourism industry’s green transformation, contributing to Vietnam’s net-zero commitments.
Recognising the importance of digital transformation, many businesses and tourist destinations have enhanced their communication and product promotion on websites and social media. They have simultaneously invested in developing mobile applications, online booking systems, virtual reality experiences, and chatbot customer service to meet diverse market demands and enhance customer experience.
To accelerate tourism digital transformation, the VNAT has developed a tourism application called “Vietnam Travel”, a powerful tool supporting tourists from information search to service booking (flight tickets, hotels and admission tickets), electronic payments, and tourist feedback and quality assessment.
The VNAT also developed a tourism management and business platform to support connections between stakeholders: state management agencies, businesses and tourists. This helps optimise tourism activities, enhancing the competitiveness and recognition of Vietnamese tourism.
In terms of green transformation, Vietnam’s tourism has made notable progress with the establishment of green destinations and accommodation facilities following plastic-waste-free hotel models, investment in renewable energy systems, smart resource management, and electric vehicle transport for visitors. Additionally, green tours have emerged, offering distinctive tourism experiences and helping build Vietnam’s image as a sustainable and responsible destination.
Green and digital transformation are not merely a trend but essential requirements for rapid, sustainable tourism development. However, this “dual transformation” process in Vietnam still faces many challenges since green and digital transformation demand substantial resource investment, while most Vietnamese tourism businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises.
This is why Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, suggested the need for policies encouraging investors and businesses to invest in digital transformation, applying advanced, green, clean technologies in tourism operations to create green tourism products and services, thereby promoting green consumption trends. Simultaneously, there should be mechanisms to support localities with tourism potential that face investment attraction difficulties.
Sharing this viewpoint, Dang Thi Giang from the Institute for Sustainable Regional Development Research believed that for businesses developing green tourism models and products, the government should provide appropriate incentives, such as interest rate support or preferential mechanisms for green tourism development projects, to help them persistently pursue this direction.
Recently, to address the fragmented, inconsistent state of tourism’s digital transformation, the VNAT issued guidelines for digital transformation in tourism while collaborating with many provinces and cities to organise local digital transformation training programmes.
However, there are still no specific criteria or guidelines for green transformation. Therefore, Vietnam must develop and issue standards and criteria for tourism development towards green growth for nationwide application.
Experts also suggest that green and digital transformation in tourism are based on the important foundation of science-technology, innovation and high-quality human resources. Thus, investment in technology and people should be the top priority in implementing this “dual transformation”.
To achieve this, Vietnam needs to be quicker in grasping scientific-technical advances, promoting international cooperation in training, education, and technology transfer to maintain technical and human resource readiness for green and digital transformation, enabling Vietnamese tourism to soar higher and further.
