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Hotlist Travellive Editor's Pick is an annual project by Travellive Media Group, honoring pioneering brands, individuals, and initiatives in Vietnam's tourism and hospitality industry. Following the success of previous seasons, HOTLIST 2025 returns with the journey "From Seed to Rice," inspired by the rice grain as a symbol of the enduring vitality and prosperity of the Vietnamese people and the development of the tourism and hospitality industry in the era of innovation.
Held simultaneously in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, The Insiders Forum is not only a platform for knowledge exchange but also a professional networking platform, promoting the specialized, sustainable development of Vietnam's tourism industry and its deep integration with the region.
Ms. Le Minh Phuong - Founder and CEO of Travellive Media Group
The Insiders Forum is designed as a professional dialogue space to analyze the new growth drivers shaping Vietnam's tourism landscape within the regional context.
At The Insiders Forum Hanoi, held on January 7, 2026 at Sheraton Hanoi West, over 300 delegates, including senior leaders, international experts, business representatives, and media, gathered to analyze long-term trends and new growth drivers of Vietnam's tourism industry within the context of the Asia-Pacific region.
The highlight of the conference was the presentation by Mr. Kenneth Atkinson (Pham Kien Son) on the topic "Never Say No – 35 Years Shaping the Future of Vietnamese Tourism." From the perspective of someone deeply involved with Vietnam for over three decades, he outlined the development journey of the tourism industry from its early, limited opening period to its global integration. The lessons learned regarding policy, aviation, investment, and resilience were not only retrospective but also offered strategic insights for the next growth cycle, where coordination and a long-term vision become decisive factors.
From the perspective of someone deeply involved with Vietnam for over three decades, Kenneth Atkinson outlines the development journey of the tourism industry from the period of opening up to global integration.
The Insiders Forum Hanoi took place on January 7, 2026, at the Sheraton Hanoi West, bringing together over 300 delegates including senior leaders, international experts, business representatives, and media.
In addition, the series of in-depth discussion sessions brought together experts and industry representatives to exchange views on key pillars: from the luxury segment, air connectivity, people and heritage, to the potential of wellness and health tourism. Each session not only analyzed trends and opportunities but also shared practical solutions, contributing to laying the foundation for the sustainable development and international integration of the tourism industry.
Session 1 – The High-End Segment: The Rise of Luxury Travel ServicesThis provides a clear perspective on the shift in the concept of "luxury." Instead of focusing on products or physical amenities, speakers from Capella Hanoi, H2X Studio, and BIM Group argue that luxury tourism today is defined by personalized experiences, emotional depth, and sophisticated operational capabilities. Hanoi is seen as a potential market for high-end tourism, where international standards need to be harmonized with local identity and a long-term development mindset. The story of "luxury" is no longer about a race for scale, but about the quality and sustainability of the experience.
Instead of focusing on products or physical amenities, speakers from Capella Hanoi, H2X Studio, and BIM Group argued that luxury travel today is defined by personalized experiences, emotional depth, and sophisticated operational capabilities.
In the second discussion session – Overcoming Connectivity: New Flight Routes and the Next Tourism Growth CycleAviation, tourism, and environmental experts posed a major question: How can we transform traffic into long-term value? New routes not only expand accessibility to destinations but also reshape the quality of tourist flows and market structure. Against the backdrop of increasing pressure from climate change and the growing demand for sustainable development, the discussion highlighted the need for interdisciplinary strategies linking aviation, destinations, and policy to ensure tourism growth does not come at the expense of resources and the environment.
At this discussion session, aviation, tourism, and environmental experts discussed the role of new flight routes in expanding the scope of tourism development.
If previous sessions focused on market strategy and structure,Session 3 – People & Heritage: Transforming Local Identity into a Competitive AdvantageBringing the tourism narrative back to its core elements, speakers analyzed the role of human resources, local knowledge, and local culture in improving service quality, creating destination identity, and building sustainable competitiveness. Tourism is not just a product or infrastructure, but a process of nurturing human and community values.
The third discussion session brought the tourism narrative back to its core elements: people and heritage.
Closing the seriesThe discussion is session 4 – Unlocking the potential of wellness and medical tourism in Vietnam.,Approaches were considered from multiple perspectives: wellness resort operations, market communication and trust building, human-centered tourism technology, and integrated healthcare service models. Opinions generally agreed that Vietnam possesses favorable natural and cultural foundations for developing this segment, but a comprehensive strategy is needed regarding service quality, professional standards, and international reliability.
The series of discussions concluded with session 4 on health and medical tourism.
Beyond its professional content, The Insiders Forum Hanoi also serves as a networking space for stakeholders in the tourism ecosystem, fostering multi-faceted dialogue and sharing practical experiences. Through this forum, HOTLIST Travellive Editor's Pick 2025 continues to affirm its position as a reputable platform, accompanying the Vietnamese tourism industry on its journey towards specialized, sustainable growth and deep integration with the region.
The workshop emphasized tourism models based on experiences, identity, and sustainable values, rather than competing on scale or cost.
In addition to its professional content, The Insiders Forum Hanoi also serves as a networking space for stakeholders in the tourism ecosystem, fostering multi-faceted dialogue and sharing practical experiences.
Throughout the discussions, The Insiders Forum 2025 showed that Vietnamese tourism is entering a "harvesting" phase, as the foundations built over many years begin to yield results.
