opportunities and challenges”

The comrades chaired the discussion.

Promote economic development, tourism and heritage conservation

On November 30, in Ninh Binh, the Department of Culture and Sports of Ninh Binh coordinated with other units to organize the Seminar "Connecting heritage and golf: opportunities and challenges".

Speaking at the seminar, Dr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director of Ninh Binh Department of Culture and Sports, said: In the context of increasingly connected economic and cultural development, exploiting the potential of modern sports such as Golf to preserve and promote heritage values ​​is a direction that many countries are interested in. Vietnam, with its rich natural and cultural heritage, especially in Ninh Binh with its characteristic of many valuable heritages, is facing a great opportunity to take advantage of Golf as a new, unique product, combining sports and heritage tourism.

The goal of the “Heritage Golf” product is to harmoniously combine the sport of Golf with local cultural and natural heritages, thereby promoting economic development, tourism and heritage conservation. The development of this type of tourism not only contributes to attracting international visitors to Ninh Binh but also creates a sustainable economic model for the local community.

“Heritage Golf” is not only a high-class recreational sport, but also brings great cultural value. Thereby, it opens up opportunities to promote the image of Vietnamese heritage to the world, while preserving and promoting local historical and cultural values…

Dr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, spoke at the seminar.

Speaking at the seminar, delegates also said that Golf tourism is currently a strength of Vietnam tourism. According to Mr. Vuong Duy Bien - Former Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, developing Golf tourism in Vietnam, especially in areas with cultural heritage, is a strategic direction to attract international tourists. International research and experience have shown that the combination of Golf and cultural heritage elements will create sustainable tourism products, attracting tourists with high spending and longer stays.

However, to achieve high efficiency in developing Golf tourism associated with heritage, there must be clear strategies in preserving and promoting cultural heritage, ensuring harmony between economic development and protection of the natural environment. Not only is it necessary to develop Golf courses that meet international standards, but it must also be associated with cultural exploration activities and heritage tourism experiences to create sustainable appeal.

Dr. Nguyen Trung Khanh - Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism also added that since 2020, many specialized golf training programs have been included in formal education, contributing to providing professional human resources for the golf tourism industry. The Bachelor of Physical Education and Sports courses specializing in golf at the Bac Ninh University of Physical Education and Sports and golf tourism training courses at the Hanoi College of Tourism from 2024 will help significantly improve the quality of human resources in this field.

In the first 9 months of 2024, Vietnam welcomed 13 million international tourists, of which 1.5 million were golf tourists. This number is expected to continue to increase in the coming years, as Vietnam increasingly asserts itself as an attractive golf destination. The growth of both international and domestic markets not only promotes golf tourism but also contributes to the local economy, creates jobs and improves the quality of life for local people. With strong infrastructure development, international cooperation opportunities, and increasing demand for sports tourism, Vietnam is facing great opportunities to develop golf tourism, turning itself into one of the world's leading golf destinations.

In addition, delegates also said: Golf and local heritage conservation Golf not only plays a role in promoting economic development but is also an effective tool to preserve and promote the value of local heritage. In Ninh Binh, where there are many valuable heritages, the combination of Golf and heritage not only brings tourism benefits but also helps raise public awareness of the importance of heritage conservation. This requires close coordination between local cultural, sports and tourism management agencies and investors in building Golf courses and suitable tourism infrastructure, creating products with economic and cultural sustainability.

International Golf events held in heritage areas will be a great opportunity to promote the image of Vietnam to the world, while promoting cultural and economic exchanges. The development of Golf courses and tourism infrastructure will create many new jobs, increasing income for local people. At the same time, it also creates opportunities to develop complementary tourism services, thereby promoting the socio-economic development of the whole region.

By expanding cooperation with countries with a solid foundation in Golf, Ninh Binh can attract investment capital, advanced technology, and learn from foreign partners in organizing professional tournaments, building international standard Golf courses... These international Heritage Golf tournaments will be an important bridge to help promote the image and unique values ​​of Ninh Binh's heritage to the international community. At the same time, these events will also attract the attention of the global media, creating momentum for the development of Golf tourism and enhancing the brand of Vietnam's heritage tourism. Strategic steps in international cooperation and promoting the brand "Heritage Golf" will bring sustainable values ​​to Ninh Binh, not only in terms of economy but also in terms of preserving and promoting the unique cultural heritage of the locality.

Discussion corner.

Ensuring a balance between economic development and preserving precious heritage values

However, at the seminar, delegates also pointed out that besides the advantages, we also have to face challenges related to the management, planning and conservation of heritage when implementing large projects such as golf courses. Organizing international golf tournaments in heritage areas such as Ninh Binh needs to ensure a balance between economic development and the conservation of precious heritage values.

“When organizing, we need to make sure that this development process does not harm the living environment of the local community, does not destroy traditional cultural values, and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from this development,” emphasized Comrade Vuong Duy Bien, former Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Khanh - Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, despite its great potential, Vietnam's golf tourism still faces a number of challenges that need to be overcome: High tax rates: The 20% special consumption tax applied to golf-related services makes it more difficult to compete in prices compared to other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Malaysia. Currently, most travel companies have not paid attention to or invested heavily in developing golf tours, leading to the failure to fully exploit the market's potential. Golf tourism products in Vietnam are still simple and not diverse, lacking accompanying services such as cultural experience tours, heritage exploration, shopping, and cuisine. Lack of connection between tourism industry components: Golf courses, travel agencies, hotels, and tourist attractions do not have strong connections to create comprehensive product packages for tourists. Communication in this field is still weak, not widely promoted and strategic. Many opportunities to promote golf tourism through television channels and social networks have not been effectively exploited. Golf tourism human resources have not been fully trained. Golf tourism products are still monotonous: Currently, Vietnam's golf tourism products have not been diversified and are still quite simple, mainly focusing on golf packages without fully exploiting the potential in combination with cultural activities, heritage tours, or culinary experiences. This lack of creativity has reduced the attractiveness of Vietnam's golf tourism, especially compared to regional competitors such as Thailand or Malaysia. Technology has not been applied to golf tourism....

Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/the-thao/ket-noi-di-san-va-the-thao-golf-co-hoi-va-thach-thuc-684855.html