Green tourism development trend
More and more international tourists are choosing Vietnam not only to "go and see", but to "olate and feel". Journey associated with nature, community and sustainable lifestyle is gradually becoming a popular trend.
Lucas Martin (34 years old, France) traveled to Vietnam in early September. He began his journey out of curiosity about an Asian destination that is increasingly mentioned on international travel forums.
At first, I thought Vietnam was suitable for its budget and had a warm climate. But the more I get, the more I realize that this is a place with beautiful natural landscapes, friendly people and cultural depth, Lucas shared.
During the journey, French tourists minimize their stay at large hotels. Instead, he chose small homestays, community stilt houses or eco-resorts in the northern mountainous and central coastal areas.
In Moc Chau (Son La), Lucas spends many afternoons sitting on the porch of a stilt house, listening to the sounds of insects, observing the slow pace of life of the locals. In Hoi An (Da Nang), he was impressed with the sustainable resort, operating in the direction of saving energy and reducing plastic waste.
According to Lucas, what makes him especially love Vietnam is the clear green tourism trend in every small experience at sustainable accommodation facilities. From being encouraged to bring personal water bottles, using recycled items, to meals processed from on-site agricultural products, everything creates a feeling for tourists to feel like they are living "slowly" and more responsible for the environment.
Not only attracting international tourists, the green tourism trend is also gradually becoming a familiar choice for many Vietnamese tourists in recent years.
Quynh Hoa (31 years old) also often participates in such trips. On weekends, she and her family go to villages and community tourism areas in Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa or the outskirts of Hanoi to explore the life and people of the locality.
Ms. Hoa said: "I have been to a farm in Ba Vi, a place where agriculture is being developed in a natural way, without using industrial fertilizers or pesticides, combined with afforestation and raising livestock and poultry without industrial bran.
Here, visitors can follow people in the fields, plant forests, take care of livestock, cycle around the garden and surrounding forests or participate in seasonal experiential activities such as fishing, making cakes... This model is suitable for families with young children, helping children learn to appreciate nature, understand clean agricultural production and practice life skills through practical experiences.
The change in tourist tastes also poses new requirements for destinations and accommodation establishments: not relying on quantity, but focusing on experience quality; not exploiting nature at all costs, but aiming for preservation and regeneration. This contributes to creating a different attraction for Vietnam tourism in the eyes of international friends - a green, humane and unique destination.
If in the past, green tourism was often associated with the image of community motels lacking in materials, now, many homestays and resorts are clean, have enough amenities, and are still close to local identity and environmentally friendly, making the trip more complete.
Enterprises towards sustainable development
Sustainable tourism is no longer a short-term trend, but has become an inevitable requirement of the global tourism industry in the context of climate change, resource depletion and increasing pressure on the natural environment. Vietnam possesses diverse natural advantages and rich cultural identity, emerging as an ideal destination with high interest in sustainable tourism.
According to Agoda's 2025 survey on sustainable tourism, up to 77% of Vietnamese tourists said they put sustainability first when planning their trip. This rate is higher than the average in Asia (68%), showing that the awareness and expectations of Vietnamese tourists are changing significantly.
Vietnam is currently among the countries and territories with the top interest in sustainable tourism, behind only the Philippines (86%), India (82%), Taiwan (China) (80%) and Malaysia (80%).
Mr. Vu Ngoc Lam, Director of Agoda Vietnam, commented that domestic tourists are increasingly focusing on sustainability, reflected in the trend of choosing environmentally friendly accommodation facilities, prioritizing activities associated with nature, local communities and limiting negative impacts on the environment. Instead of just looking for simple vacations, many tourists want more meaningful experiences, contributing to the conservation of nature and indigenous culture.
This trend was also reinforced by Booking.com's report. Accordingly, 96% of Vietnamese tourists consider sustainability as an important factor in their travel decisions, and 94% expressed their desire to make more environmentally friendly trips next year.
However, the report also points to a paradox: many tourists feel overwhelmed by climate change messages, with 40% saying that the current environmental damage is irreversible. This shows that, besides awareness, tourists still need specific, accessible solutions to be able to "green tourism" in a real way, instead of just stopping at awareness.
With the increasingly clear wave of sustainable tourism, Vietnamese tourism businesses are making strong changes to adapt and seize opportunities. Many units no longer consider green tourism as a by- product, but have gradually made sustainability a part of their long-term development strategy.
With the desire to spread the message of green, sustainable tourism, towards harmonious experiences with nature, many travel businesses have been building eco-tours, nature-oriented tours at many key destinations such as Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. These programs not only focus on sightseeing and resorts, but also integrate activities to help visitors better understand the environment, culture and local life.
Mr. Bui Thanh Tu - Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel said that the company is cooperating with electric vehicle manufacturers to move tourists in a greener direction, contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting environmental impacts. This is a long-term direction to meet the trend of responsible and sustainable tourism, while creating different values for tourism products, Mr. Tu emphasized.
In addition, many travel businesses are also actively developing products associated with ESG commitments, encouraging tourists to participate in planting trees, cleaning the environment, supporting local communities or volunteer activities right on their travel itinerary. These changes not only help improve the quality of the experience for tourists, but also contribute to shaping a sustainable development of Vietnam's tourism industry, in harmony between economic, environmental and social benefits in the long term.
