On January 30, the DTU School of Tourism hosted the 3rd DTU Tourism Forum with the theme "What are the Outlooks and consumer trends in Tourism for 2024?". The event attracted many important guests, including representatives from relevant government agencies, tourism businesses, and international scholars. Notably, the presence of Prof. Yeong-Hyeon Hwang, the President of the Asia-Pacific Tourism Association (APTA), as the keynote speaker for this edition of the forum, was a significant highlight.

Prof. Yeong-Hyeon Hwang 

The DTU School of Tourism is a leading institution in tourism education, ranked in the top 51-100 worldwide for Hospitality and Leisure Management by the QS World University Rankings 2023, and in the top 101-150 globally according to the Shanghai Ranking. It is also the first and only university in Vietnam to receive the UNWTO Tedqual certification from the World Tourism Organization for its tourism programs. Besides providing high-quality human resources for Vietnam's tourism development, the DTU School of Tourism frequently takes the lead in hosting international conferences and seminars, such as the 17th UNWTO Asia-Pacific Executive Training Program on Tourism Policy and Strategy in 2023.  The DTU School of Tourism initiated the "DTU Tourism Forum" focused on specific themes, aiming to establishing a high-level tourism forum that serves as a platform for sharing information and proposing strategies for the sustainable development of tourism in Vietnam.

The speakers discussed various issues related to Tourism in 2024

Dr. Le Nguyen Tue Hang, DTU Vice-Provost, said: “Da Nang has identified Tourism and Information Technology as two pivotal economic sectors for the city's development. Consequently, building on the success of the previous two DTU editions, DTU is hosting the third Tourism Forum today, offering opportunities for innovation and new career prospects. From this foundation, new ideas will emerge, providing entrepreneurial opportunities and numerous quality job positions for students upon graduation. For instance, in today's forum, we are discussing the topic "What are the outlooks and consumer trends in Tourism for 2024?". I believe that by exploring the future outlook of the tourism industry in 2024, students will be exposed to many job positions and have promising prospects in advancing their careers. Currently, we are facing many challenges due to the pandemic and climate change, which could make job searching post-graduation challenging for students. Therefore, I also encourage students to seize every opportunity to learn and enhance their professional skills, helping themselves to secure ideal career opportunities immediately after graduation.”

Dr. Le Nguyen Tue Hang, DTU Vice-Provost, presents flowers to the speakers 

Serving as the keynote speaker at the 3rd DTU Tourism Forum, Prof. Yeong-Hyeon Hwang presented on the global tourism outlook for 2024. In his presentation, he discussed the transformation of the tourism sector after the pandemic and in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Middle Eastern tensions. These changes have led to shifts in tourism patterns and demands worldwide. He emphasized the growing trend towards domestic tourism and travel to safe destinations. New tourism models are also emerging, including Ecotourism (sustainable tourism), Wellness Tourism, Border Tourism, and Tourism integrated with new technologies.
 
Within the framework of the forum, the Organizing Committee also allocated significant time for a panel discussion featuring leading speakers in the tourism industry, including Prof. Yeong-Hyeon Hwang; Mr. Anton Bespalov, the General Manager of TUI BLUE Nam Hoi An Resort; Dr. Myungkeun Song from the Department of Tourism at Dong-A University in South Korea, and Dr. Marie Lee, a DTU lecturer in Hospitality & Tourism. During the discussion, the speakers discussed about the role of technology in shaping the future of tourism and travel in 2024, approaches to resort management, and the development of data utilization in 2024. Additionally, the panelists discussed the prediction of emerging or re-emerging destinations that may become popular in 2024 and the factors contributing to these trends.
 
The 3rd DTU Tourism Forum was a significant consultative event for both tourism enterprises and governmental agencies, where experts exchanged knowledge, shared the latest information, and provided specific recommendations for the future development of the tourism industry.