- Excellency, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism of Viet Nam,
- Mr Vu The Binh, Chairman of Viet Nam Tourism Association (VITA), President of Viet Nam International Travel Mart Organizing Committee,
- Distinguished guests, 
- Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good morning and xin chào to you all.

I am honoured to speak at today’s “Vietnam International Travel Mart”, with a theme “Viet Nam’s Cultural Tourism” aiming to enhance awareness of and promote actions by businesses in the new context, and paving the way for our sustainable future in tourism.

I would like to congratulate and express my sincere gratitude to the Viet Nam Tourism Association for organizing this 12th “Vietnam International Travel Mart” event.

UNDP applauds the continued commitment shown by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism of Viet Nam and the Viet Nam Tourism Association for promoting responsible nature-based tourism that is consistent with environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, and preserving culture and tradition to ensure sustainable tourism development in Viet Nam.

Excellency Minister and partners,

As highlighted by the Minister, Viet Nam reopened for tourism on March 15, 2022and positively saw nearly 3.5 million international visitors in 2022, generating 495 trillion VND in total revenue - 23% higher than projected - and it is one of the three countries with the fastest growth in the tourism sector. 
Viet Nam has very rich culture and tradition of 54 ethnic groups, and is endowed with very diverse and beautiful landscapes. Viet Nam also is the 16th most biodiverse country in the world, home to over 110 Key Biodiversity Areas.

This wealth of culture, nature and biodiversity is a unique advantage for nature-based tourism development. Yet pervasive threats to nature and biodiversity in Vietnam remain, including the overexploitation of natural resources, habitat loss and degradation, global climate change, and unsustainable infrastructure and development.

The main challenge going forward will be to balance the rapid development of tourism activities with the preservation of the unique natural and socio-cultural riches that make Viet Nam attractive to visitors.

Nature-based tourism has the potential to support poverty alleviation, economic growth and biodiversity conservation, while also contributing to sustainable financing for biodiversity and cultural conservation. For this to happen, we need to promote community- and nature-based tourism, and address the myriad challenges before us, for example, those posed by plastic waste and consumption of wildlife. We need to promote cooperation between ministries and provincial departments, encourage private sector investment through public-private partnerships, and enable local communities to benefit from nature-based tourism products and services.

Community and nature-based tourism has the potential to honour indigenous and local cultures, and to bring economic benefits to rural people. Government policies and coordination between businesses and local organisations can drive the implementation and scaling-up of these sustainable tourism models in the provinces.

Excellency Minister, Partners and friends,

I am pleased to share that UNDP is working closely with MONRE and the Ministry of Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism to finalize a new project on promoting Nature Based Tourism in Viet Nam. We look froward to the effective implementation of this important project in coming years.

UNDP stands ready to work with the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism and relevant ministries, the Viet Nam Tourism Association and companies to transform Viet Nam into a competitive, business-friendly and sought-after responsible tourism destination, showcasing nature-based tourism as a viable model that strengthens biodiversity conservation and sustainable financing, promotes inclusive community engagement, fosters tourism enterprise development, generates employment opportunities and reduces plastic in the tourism sector.

I wish you all good health, happiness, and success.

Thank you and Xin cam on!