The seminar is within the framework of the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2026, attracting the participation of many experts, management agencies and businesses.
Speaking at the opening, Mr. Vu The Binh - Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association said that in 2025, the tourism industry has recovered strongly with about 21.2 million international visitors, 137 million domestic visitors, and total revenue of about 1 million billion VND. However, this result also poses new requirements for growth model transformation.
He emphasized: "If we want to develop faster, more sustainably and be better competitive, Vietnamese tourism must strongly shift from a broad growth model to a development model that is more based on technology, data, innovation and smart governance.
According to Mr. Binh, in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, especially the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the way tourists search for information, choose destinations and experience their journey is changing deeply. Digital transformation is therefore no longer an encouraging option, but has become a practical requirement for the entire tourism industry.
Mr. Pham Van Thuy - Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism assessed that the topic of the seminar is topical and of strategic significance in the current period.
He affirmed: "The application of science and technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), is no longer an option but has become an inevitable requirement for the tourism industry to develop in a modern, fast and sustainable direction.
Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism said that AI is present in the entire tourism value chain, from analyzing customer behavior, personalizing experiences, to forecasting market trends and optimizing business operations. AI also helps management agencies improve the efficiency of customer flow regulation, reduce pressure on infrastructure and protect tourism resources.
The seminar focused on discussing key contents such as the trend of digital transformation in tourism, the application of AI in product development and promotion, improving service quality, developing smart tourism and promoting green transformation at destinations. Many specific technology solutions were introduced, from customer care chatbots, hotel management systems, to tourism robots.
Sharing at the event, Mr. Pham Ha - Chairman, Founder and CEO of LuxGroup, Vice Chairman of Vietnam Green Tourism Association, said that the tourism industry needs to enter a "double transformation" phase: digital transformation to improve productivity and green growth to ensure sustainable development.
These are not two parallel options, but two sides of the same development strategy," he emphasized.
In fact, AI is becoming an important tool to help businesses improve operational efficiency. AI can support from marketing, sales to operation and personalized experience. When applied effectively, labor productivity can increase 3-5 times compared to traditional methods.
Besides improving productivity, digital transformation is also the foundation for implementing green growth. This expert said that for businesses, AI allows measuring and optimizing each operating stage - from schedules, vehicles to energy consumption - thereby reducing emissions and waste.
At the seminar, experts also pointed out that the digital transformation process of the tourism industry still faces many challenges such as scattered data, limited resources, and a lack of high-quality human resources who understand both tourism and technology.
Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen links between the State, businesses and training organizations; and at the same time improve mechanisms and policies to support digital transformation and green transformation.
