Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development Project


The Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development Project (ST4SD) in Vietnam aims at making Vietnam’s tourism sector more sustainable and inclusive. It supports the preparation of relevant policies and strengthens public-private dialogues at both national and subnational levels in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Country/region Period Budget
Vietnam
01.04.2023 - 31.03.2027
CHF  3’600’000
Background

Tourism has significantly increased in Vietnam over the last years. The surge of visitors showed the weaknesses of the sector and led to negative social and environmental impacts. While the Covid-19 pandemic has halted tourism development for 2 years, the reopening of the country presents an opportunity to steer it towards more sustainability and quality. This requires adjustments to policies and strategies and changes in mindsets, capacity building and closer coordination at the level of tourism destination. In addition, the lack of skills in the sector is a major obstacle for the development of a more sustainable and inclusive tourism.

Objectives

The Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development Project (ST4SD) in Vietnam aims to contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive tourism sector in Vietnam. In the long term, this will contribute to the creation of new livelihoods and sustainable economic development of Vietnam.

Medium-term outcomes

National and subnational action plans, master plans and other policies include relevant actions- and decisions are taken and implemented to foster sustainable tourism development.

Vietnamese training institutions will be supported to provide training and develop skills and expertise in sustainable tourism.

Tourism destinations and companies have become more sustainable in their operation and investments.

Results

Expected results:  

Existing public-private policy dialogue mechanisms will be strengthened to support more consistent policies and strategy development at national, regional and provincial level.

The project will support the national and provincial tourism authorities in the development and use of innovative ideas for marketing and communication of sustainable tourism.

The Vietnam Tourism Competitiveness Index, which measures competitiveness of tourism destinations, will be supplemented with a sub-index on sustainability.

An executive hospitality training (EHT) programme will be established at a qualified Vietnamese training institution to strengthen capacities and skills in the tourism sector.

A network of Vietnamese and international/Swiss tourism executives and experts will be established.

Innovative sustainable tourism approaches for tourism companies will be selected through a competitive procedure and supported with expertise.


Results from previous phases:  

The ST4SD will build on the results of the Swiss Sustainable Tourism Project (SSTP) (2018-2023). The SSTP has promoted sustainable tourism standards with a strong focus on the private sector. The SSTP produced targeted policy inputs, established sustainable tourism training programs in selected regions, conducted assessments for preparing an Executive Hospitality Training program, and supported tourism companies in developing sustainable tourism models and products.


Directorate/federal office responsible SECO
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    3’600’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    0 Budget inclusive project partner CHF    4’000’000
Project phases Phase 2 01.04.2023 - 31.03.2027   (Current phase) Phase 1 01.04.2018 - 30.04.2023   (Completed)