School of Languages and Tourism, HaUI successfully hosts ICTIM 2025: Exploring emerging trends in sustainable tourism

On March 29, 2025, the School of Languages and Tourism (SLT) at Hanoi University of Industry (HaUI) successfully organized the 2nd International Conference on Tourism Innovation and Management (ICTIM 2025) under the theme “Emerging Trends in Tourism: Pathways to a Sustainable Future.” The conference brought together leading experts in the field of tourism to exchange insights, share experiences, and contribute to shaping a sustainable future for global tourism development.

Overview of the conference

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Ba Phong, Vice-Rector of SLT, emphasized that while the global tourism industry is showing strong signs of recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, it faces pressing challenges related to sustainable development. He stressed the urgent need to identify emerging trends and foster innovation in tourism management. With the strategic goal of positioning tourism as a spearhead economic sector by 2045, Vietnam’s tourism industry not only continues to contribute significantly to national GDP growth but also generates positive ripple effects across various socio-economic sectors.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Ba Phong, Vice-Rector of SLT, spoke at the event

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phong expressed his hope that ICTIM 2025 would serve as a valuable academic forum, enabling researchers, educators, and tourism professionals to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and foster academic collaboration. He also emphasized the importance of finding practical solutions to overcome current challenges and effectively seize opportunities to promote the sustainable development of Vietnam's tourism industry.

The conference received nearly 150 paper submissions from both domestic and international scholars, with approximately 100 selected for presentation across three formats: plenary sessions, poster sessions, and thematic panel discussions. The research covered a wide range of critical topics in sustainable tourism development, including community-based tourism, digital transformation, circular economy, destination marketing, youth consumer behavior, and sustainable culinary trends. In addition to their academic value, many papers were highly appreciated for their practical applicability, offering insights to inform policy-making, tourism product development, and strategic workforce training amidst a dynamic industry landscape.

Prof. Dr. Bui Thanh Huong, from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan), delivered a compelling keynote on “Reviving Tourism in Post-Pandemic: Benchmarking Vietnam against ASEAN.” She analyzed Vietnam’s tourism recovery and urged the country to leverage domestic tourism potential, develop the blue economy, and enhance infrastructure and digital transformation to keep pace with ASEAN 5+ nations.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Quang Dai Tuyen, Director of the Doctoral Program in Tourism at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, presented a systematic bibliometric analysis of three decades of research on Community-Based Tourism (CBT). His study highlighted a sharp rise in CBT-related publications, especially after 2015, reflecting its increasing importance in achieving global sustainable development goals. Notably, Asia and Africa - exemplified by Indonesia and South Africa - are leading contributors in this field.

Dr. Jordi Datzira-Masip, Lecturer in the Bachelor’s Program in Tourism Management at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain), discussed “Tourism Development and Local Community Behavioural Adaptation: The Case of Barcelona.” His research explored how urban communities respond and adapt to tourism overcrowding in Barcelona.

Dr. Le Viet Anh, from Hanoi University of Industry, shared her interdisciplinary research on consumer behavior in choosing vegetarian restaurants in Vietnam. Her study underscored the influential role of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) in the decision-making process, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials. She recommended that vegetarian restaurants harness digital communication to foster sustainable development.

ICTIM 2025 reaffirmed its role as a prestigious platform for academic and professional exchange, contributing significantly to the innovation and sustainable development of the tourism sector in Vietnam and beyond.