Advancing tourism education and research through digital transformation: Insights from HaUI seminar

On the afternoon of November 7, the Tourism Education Cluster Club (under the Vietnam Association of Universities and Colleges) in collaboration with the School of Foreign Languages and Tourism, Hanoi University of Industry (HaUI), organized a seminar on “Digital Transformation in Tourism Education and Research”.

The seminar provided a platform to share digital solutions for tourism education and research, identify opportunities and challenges, and outline strategies to improve the quality of human resources in the tourism sector in the digital era.

In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, digital transformation is not only a trend and an inevitable choice but also a key driver to enhance the quality of education, research, and management in higher education institutions. The application of Big Data and AI is seen as a pivotal tool for innovating teaching methods and boosting research capacity in tourism training institutions.

Dr. Hoang Ngoc Tue, Principal of the School of Foreign Languages and Tourism, HaUI, welcomed the delegates to the seminar

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Ba Phong, Vice Principal of the School of Foreign Languages and Tourism at HaUI, delivered the opening remarks of the seminar

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Ba Phong, Vice Principal of the School of Foreign Languages and Tourism (HaUI), highlighted the goal of connecting experts to share experiences, models, and digital solutions for tourism education and research, while analyzing opportunities, challenges, and strategies to improve the quality of tourism human resources.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Huu Tuan, Principal of the School of Tourism at Hue University and Chair of the Tourism Education Cluster Club, under the Vietnam Association of Universities and Colleges, presided over the seminar conducted online

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Huu Tuan, Principal of the School of Tourism (Hue University) and Head of the Tourism Education Cluster Club, emphasized that technologies such as virtual reality, 3D simulation, AI, Big Data, and digital learning platforms are fundamentally transforming teaching, learning, and research. These tools provide students with real-world experiences, equip lecturers with modern instructional tools, enable more accurate research on tourist behavior, and promote smart and sustainable tourism development.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Long (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Hanoi) presented a report on trends and the context of digital transformation in tourism education and research. He highlighted three pillars: digital infrastructure, digital content, and digital competency, with humans at the center of all innovation. He emphasized that digital human resource training should focus on digital skills, digital thinking, digital ethics, and digital creativity. Digital transformation is meaningful only when it ultimately improves human life in a sustainable and humane manner.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Long, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), emphasized in his presentation that digital transformation is truly meaningful only when its ultimate goal is to make human life better, more humane, and sustainable

Dr. Dang Thi Minh Tam of the School of Foreign Languages and Tourism at HaUI delivered a presentation entitled “The application of digital transformation in online and practical tourism education.”

Dr. Dang Thi Minh Tam (School of Foreign Languages and Tourism, HaUI) delivered a presentation on "The Application of Digital Transformation in Online and Practical Tourism Education", stressing that digital transformation is not merely technology but a shift in teaching and learning mindset. Flipped classrooms, digital learning materials, and simulation/VR experiences are used to develop students’ practical skills, critical thinking, and creativity. This model has been systematically implemented across 121 English courses at HaUI, aiming for competency-based assessment and building a sustainable digital learning ecosystem.

Mr. Hoang Dung, Deputy Director of the Institute for Digital Knowledge Research and Development (IDK), presented a paper titled “Proposing the implementation of a knowledge sharing and networking system for the tourism education cluster club.”

Dr. Phan Thi Ngan of Nguyen Tat Thanh University (NTTU) delivered a presentation entitled “Factors facilitating and hindering digital transformation in tourism education and research at NTTU

The presentation on “Digital Transformation Experiences at the School of Tourism (Hue University)” was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Huu Tuan, Principal of the School of Tourism (Hue University)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duc Thang, Vice Rector of East Asia University of Technology and Secretary General of the Vietnam Tourism Education Association, delivered a speech at the seminar

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Dung, Head of the Department of Tourism Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, delivered a speech at the seminar.

At the conclusion of the seminar, Dr. Vu Van Vien and Dr. Phan Thi Ngan solemnly conferred membership certificates of the Tourism Education Cluster Club upon the participating institutions. The Club also formally inaugurated its 2026–2028 Executive Board, with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Vien designated as Chair.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Lan, Head of the Membership Affairs Committee representing the Vietnam Association of Universities and Colleges, announced the Decision

Institutions receiving membership certificates of the Tourism Education Cluster Club

The Executive Board of the Tourism Education Cluster Club for the 2026–2028 term was officially inaugurated

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Vien, Chair of the Tourism Education Cluster Club for the 2026–2028 term, delivered his acceptance speech and expressed gratitude to the outgoing Executive Board.

Currently, the Tourism Education Cluster Club encompasses 64 members, comprising 52 academic institutions and 12 enterprises. The Club continues to expand its academia-industry nexus, advance the modernization and scholarly development of tourism education and research in Vietnam, and foster a progressive, efficacious, and sustainable digital learning ecosystem.