Việtnam Underscores Green Tourism as Essential for Sustainable Growth at National Forum
Lâm Đồng, The Gulf Observer: Green tourism has become an urgent necessity rather than an optional approach as Việtnam’s tourism sector faces escalating challenges posed by climate change, environmental pollution and overcrowding at popular destinations. This was the central message delivered by Nguyễn Trùng Khánh, Director-General of the Việtnam National Authority of Tourism, at the 2025 National Annual Green Tourism Forum held in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng.
The two-day forum, which concluded on Friday, was jointly organised by the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism, the Lâm Đồng Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development in Vietnam (ST4SD) Project.
Addressing more than 100 delegates, Khánh emphasised that green tourism is neither a temporary slogan nor a passing global trend. Instead, it represents “a comprehensive development mindset, a guiding philosophy for action and a long-term process requiring broad awareness and the participation of the whole society.”
He stressed that a genuine shift toward green tourism demands changes in how tourism resources are utilised, how services are delivered and how consumer behaviour is shaped, alongside improvements in tourism governance. Raising awareness and strengthening the sense of responsibility among businesses, travellers and local communities, he added, remain central to the sector’s sustainable transformation.
Khánh called on participants to engage in candid and constructive discussions on the proposed Action Framework for Green Tourism Development in Việtnam. The framework is expected to guide national efforts to advance sustainable tourism practices in the coming years. Delegates were urged to make concrete commitments that contribute to responsible and long-term growth for the tourism industry.
“Every contribution made at the forum is a building block in constructing the pathway for green tourism in Việt Nam,” Khánh noted.
The forum aligns with the implementation of the National Strategy and National Action Plan on Green Growth for 2021–30, with a vision to 2050. It also supports key government directives designed to ensure effective and sustainable tourism development, including Government Resolution No. 82/NQ-CP on accelerating tourism recovery and Directive No. 08/CT-TTg issued in February 2024.
As the first annual forum dedicated to green tourism, the event aims to elevate awareness and encourage robust participation from authorities, tourism businesses, associations, communities and experts. It seeks to drive a meaningful shift from awareness to action, reposition Việtnam’s tourism image in line with global trends and enhance the nation’s competitiveness in the international tourism market.
Key activities of the forum include field surveys of selected green tourism models across Lâm Đồng Province and plenary discussions attended by leaders from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, senior officials from provincial tourism departments, business representatives, training institutions, researchers, policy experts and Swiss specialists.
