19/08/2026
FROM “SELLING DESTINATIONS” TO “CREATING EXPERIENCES”
Tourism is changing.
In the 20th century, tourism was largely about selling destinations. Where to go, what to see, where to take photos… tourism products were built mainly around famous destinations.
Entering the 21st century, especially in the digital era, travelers want more. They do not simply want to visit a place; they want to experience something, discover a story to remember, take home an emotion, participate in meaningful activities, and create lasting memories.
In reality, tourism is shifting from “selling destinations” to “creating experiences”, and beyond that, toward co-creating experiences together with travelers.
This is also what VietMark focuses on in its professional work and in designing tourism products for the market, particularly through Team Building programs.
I was delighted to participate as a guest speaker at CTI 2026 – the 1st Conference on “Creative Tourism in the Digital Era” at Van Lang University, joining the plenary session and exchanging perspectives with experts on contemporary tourism issues.
After many years in the tourism industry, I have come to realize that creative tourism is not simply about applying new technologies. More importantly, it is about creating new products, new experiences, and new values for travelers. This perspective is also fully aligned with the research and thinking of scholars both in Vietnam and around the world.
And perhaps the future of tourism will be:
“It is not only about where we take travelers, but more importantly, about what we make them feel.”