From golf course to Hollywood screen: Ambassadors tell stories of Vietnam tourism

From descendants of King Ly Thai To, Hollywood directors to golf legends, many famous people have taken on the role of promoting Vietnamese tourism to the world.

Greg Norman - world golf legend - continues to take on the role of Vietnam Tourism Ambassador for the 2025 - 2030 term.

In his role as Tourism Ambassador from 2018 to 2021, he made important contributions, contributing to making Vietnam the "Best Golf Destination in Asia" for 8 consecutive years and the "Best Golf Destination in the World" in 2019 and 2021 voted by the World Golf Awards.

Deputy Minister Ho An Phong presented the Decision appointing Gregory John Norman as Vietnam Tourism Ambassador for the 2025 - 2030 term. Photo: TITC

Not only is Greg Norman an inspiration through his golf swings, he is also an emotional storyteller about Vietnam's landscapes, cuisine, people and culture through tourism promotional videos broadcast on CNN, Golf Channel, CNBC or on his personal social networking sites.

Greg Norman affirmed: “I am committed to doing my best to continue promoting the image of Vietnam, not only a destination for golfers but also a country of heritage, nature, culture and friendly people, spreading the image of Vietnamese tourism more strongly to the world.”

Greg Norman is committed to promoting the image of Vietnamese tourism with high-class experiences and services. Photo: Greg Norman

During his new term, Mr. Greg Norman will implement a series of long-term initiatives: promoting golf tourism on personal media platforms with more than 175,000 followers, coordinating the construction of the Greg Norman Golf Academy to train the younger generation and popularize golf in physical education...

He will also advise on sustainable golf course development policies associated with environmental protection, propose an international standard golf course inspection system, connect golf tourism with heritage tourism through golf festivals, and promote bringing international golf tournaments and cultural and tourism events to Vietnam.

In particular, Greg Norman and a number of investors proposed developing international standard golf courses in many potential localities in Vietnam, contributing to improving the quality of destinations and expanding the high-end tourist segment.

Before Greg Norman, Vietnam had appointed many influential international individuals as Tourism Ambassadors, each representing a different field, with different strengths.

Ly Nha Ky

As Vietnam's first Tourism Ambassador, this actress and businesswoman made a splash when she campaigned for the international community to vote for Ha Long Bay as one of the new 7 natural wonders of the world.

During her one-year term from September 2011 to September 2012, she promoted Vietnam's image in more than 10 countries, introducing localities such as Hung Yen and Nam Dinh through cultural diplomacy programs.

Despite some controversy, she was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and awarded a certificate of merit after her term ended.

Ly Nha Ky at Cannes Film Festival, inviting many famous producers to Vietnam to contribute to introducing culture and developing tourism. Photo: NVCC

Bobby Chinn

World-famous New Zealand chef Bobby Chinn served as Vietnam Tourism Ambassador in Europe from July 2014 to July 2017.

With his culinary strengths, Bobby Chinn has actively introduced Vietnamese dishes at international fairs such as WTM London, and hosted many TV shows such as World Café Asia (TLC) or Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia (Discovery).

He also published the book Wild, Wild East, affirming that cuisine is the leading competitive advantage of Vietnamese tourism.

This chef has shared his impressions of Vietnamese cuisine many times, especially his love for street foods such as banh cuon, banh xeo...

Bobby Chinn loves Vietnamese cuisine. Photo: Bobby Chinn

Anoa Suzanne Dussol Perran

A French-Vietnamese businesswoman, Anoa once made a splash when she flew a helicopter from Paris to Hanoi through 22 countries. She served as Vietnam Tourism Ambassador in France from October 2015 to October 2018.

During her tenure as Vietnam's tourism ambassador, she launched the "Vietnam House" project in the suburbs of Paris - a place to introduce Vietnamese culture, ao dai, and specialties to overseas Vietnamese and international friends.

She also proposed organizing "Vietnam Tourism Year in France 2016" and "France Tourism Year in Vietnam 2017", and actively connecting tourism associations of the two countries.

Ms. Anoa Suzanne Dussol Perran and Minister Nguyen Van Hung. Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Jordan Vogt-Roberts

As the director of the blockbuster Kong: Skull Island, Mr. Jordan was appointed Vietnam Tourism Ambassador to the UK and the US for the 2017-2020 term.

He used cinema to promote Vietnam, inviting Hollywood filmmakers like Gareth Edwards (Star Wars director) to visit famous sites like Trang An and Ha Long.

Despite the assault incident in Ho Chi Minh City in 2017, the director has always expressed his love for Vietnam, wearing a red shirt with a yellow star at the 90th Oscars to show his affection for the S-shaped country.

Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts thanked Vietnamese audiences after the success of the blockbuster Kong: Skull Island.

Lee Chang Can

As the 31st generation descendant of King Ly Thai To, Mr. Ly Xuong Can (Lee Chang Kun) has Vietnamese blood and always strives to develop Vietnam - Korea tourism relations. This special ambassador was born in 1958 in Seoul, Korea.

He once proposed opening a Vietnam Tourism Representative Office in Korea, with the task of promoting destinations, supporting businesses in organizing tours, and providing information to Korean tourists.

Mr. Ly Xuong Can (right cover) received the decision to appoint him as Vietnam Tourism Ambassador in Korea. Photo: Hai Minh

The appointment of Tourism Ambassadors is an important part of the national tourism promotion strategy, especially in key markets like South Korea.

This is an effort by the tourism industry to increase Vietnam's image recognition on the world map, attracting tourists not only in quantity but also in terms of quality of spending and length of stay.

In the period 2025 - 2030, with the companionship of Greg Norman and methodical communication campaigns, the Vietnamese industry expects to continue to become the leading golf tourism destination in Asia and the world - a convergence of heritage, sports, and classy experiences.

Laodong.vn

Source: https://laodong.vn/du-lich/tin-tuc/tu-san-golf-den-man-anh-hollywood-nhung-dai-su-ke-chuyen-du-lich-viet-nam-1542794.html