Key to developing educational tourism

Our country has a tradition of studiousness, possesses a diverse system of historical and cultural relics and heritages, and a rich ecosystem of national parks and nature reserves. These are favorable conditions for the development of educational tourism products. The development of studying abroad, student exchange programs, and exchanges have opened up opportunities for the educational tourism market to become more vibrant.

In recent times, many educational tourism products have been deployed by training institutions and tourism businesses, typically tours to experience traditional craft villages, agricultural and ecological tourism at farms; learning history and culture at museums and historical sites. However, the development of this type of tourism still has many limitations. Educational tours are still organized based on the market promotion and supply; not based on the real needs of participants.

Educational tourism products are mostly spontaneous and have not been properly researched and invested in, leading to a bias towards entertainment and limited academic value. Many destinations lack diversity and ancillary services, making visitors bored and not staying long. Educational tourism in Vietnam is focusing on developing quantity without paying due attention to quality. Duplicate content at destinations is common.

In order for educational tourism to go deep and develop sustainably, it is necessary to carefully research the market and the aspirations of tourists to build suitable products, in the context of personalization and creativity being increasingly valued. According to experts, the development of this type of tourism requires coordination between educational institutions and tourism businesses to design programs that both meet learning needs and are creative with diverse activities.

Currently, in addition to its strengths in natural resources and culture, Vietnam is also highly regarded for its security, safety, and competitive advantage in terms of living costs. This creates conditions for our country's tourism to attract international visitors to participate in educational tourism programs.

To attract international students and employees of multinational companies, tourism businesses can cooperate with foreign companies, units and organizations that are providing study abroad consulting services in Vietnam, especially exploiting licensed and reputable foreign joint training programs.

Experts emphasize that enhancing the experience factor in educational tourism products is the "key" to attracting tourists. It is necessary to increase practical and interactive activities in the journey, apply creative learning methods such as games, storytelling, and technology to enhance the experience. Educational tourism will become more lively and attractive, contributing to promoting the sustainable development of Vietnam's tourism.