Travellive Media Group's Hotlist 2024 includes 28 categories in 5 areas: Hospitality, Destination, Tour, Tech, Individual Honors. The Hotlist 2024 nominations are selected by Travellive Media Group's prestigious editors with the participation of the Professional Advisory Board.
Below, Travellive introduces 12 inspirational faces of tourism 2024 in the Individual Honors field including: Tran Quang Vinh, Tran Dang Dang Khoa, Tran Tuan Viet, Khoai Lang Thang (Dinh Vo Hoai Phuong), Helly Tong (Tong Khanh Linh), Nhi Dang, Tam Bui, Ly Thanh Co, Ha La La (Bui Viet Ha), Vinh Gau (Le Viet Vinh), Quy Coc Tu (Ngo Tran Hai An), Fahoka traveler (Pham Hoan Khai).
Individual Honors - Inspiring Faces of Tourism 2024
1. Tran Quang Vinh
Quang Vinh is an inspirational travel blogger, known for his active work in introducing quality tourism services. In 2016, from singing, Tran Quang Vinh switched to making a travel vlog series called "Quang Vinh Passport", specializing in reviewing famous destinations at home and abroad. Having set foot in more than 30 lands in 2024 alone, Quang Vinh is an inspirational figure on the journey to promote tourism and cuisine in many places around the world, bringing authentic travel information to viewers.
Despite making many trips in a row, his products are always carefully released, attracting the attention of the audience. The most prominent is the vlog series "American Dream", recording his memorable journey in the US. Although his work seems easy, in reality it requires a lot of effort and time to create quality products. To date, Quang Vinh has explored 50 countries and continues his journey, with the goal of spreading the love of travel and broadening people's view of the world.
2. Tran Dang Dang Khoa
Tran Dang Dang Khoa is known as the person who traveled around the world by motorbike and car with Vietnamese license plates. This trip is not only to promote the image of Vietnam to the world but also to convey the desire to dream and dare to do. This is the second trip Tran Dang Dang Khoa is making and it can be said that he is the first Vietnamese person to travel around the world by road and personal vehicle.
The message he wants to convey to everyone is: “Follow your dream; everything is possible if you are truly passionate and put in the effort with all your heart and mind.” Tran Dang Dang Khoa is not only a passionate backpacker but also a symbol of faith and determination, encouraging everyone to dare to step out of their comfort zone and pursue their own journey.
3. Tran Tuan Viet
Tran Tuan Viet, a famous photographer, known as "The person who brings Vietnam's image to the world", has made his mark with three journeys across Vietnam and dozens of trips taking photos of Vietnamese tourism and culture. In particular, he had the opportunity to go to the United States to organize an exhibition promoting Vietnamese tourism for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hollywood.
In September 2024, Tran Tuan Viet held a solo exhibition called “Destination Vietnam” in Los Angeles, introducing 93 photographic works reflecting the beauty of tourism, culture, UNESCO heritage and the potential of Vietnam's cinema scene. This exhibition is part of the largest tourism and cinema promotion project in the history of Vietnam tourism, aiming to introduce the country to Hollywood and attract the attention of international tourists. With passion and creativity, Tran Tuan Viet not only captures beautiful moments but also spreads the image of Vietnam's land and people to friends around the world.
4. Sweet Potato (Dinh Vo Hoai Phuong)
As a YouTuber with the largest number of followers in Vietnam, Khoai Lang Thang inspires travel, lifestyle and discovery through authentic, positive energy footage. In 2024, although he only made 4 trips, his journey to Madagascar, Africa left a deep impression. Baobab Avenue with its wild and majestic beauty - one of the most beautiful scenes in the journey, brought Khoai Lang Thang unforgettable experiences and inspired millions of followers.
Khoai Lang Thang exploits content with a genuine, simple, positive perspective and different experiences in the journey of wandering around the world, creating great inspiration for the community of people who love to travel.
5. Helly Song (Helly Song)
Tong Khanh Linh or Helly Tong is a lifestyle and travel blogger, often sharing philosophical thoughts and life experiences through each trip. She loves art and promotes a green, simple, and compassionate lifestyle. From January 2024 to present, Helly has regularly worked domestically and traveled internationally, visiting many places such as: America, Bali, Bhutan, Germany and Austria.
She also explored Con Dao, Ho Tram and Hoi An - where she participated in the Contemporary Dance “Straw” by Arabesque Vietnam, impressed by the combination of art and storytelling. Helly Tong often searches for bookstores and cultural sites to better understand the places she visits. Her most special trip of the year is Tra Vinh and Con Dao, serving a new survey and research project. In Tra Vinh, she integrated with local life and focused on exploring "indigenous knowledge".
6. Nhi Dang
Nhi Dang, a travel blogger and photographer, stands out with her inspiring solo trips. She is the image of a modern woman who dares to pursue her own passion and desires. With a courageous and energetic spirit, Nhi Dang not only explores the world but also spreads positive values to the community, encouraging everyone to dare to embark on their own journey.
In 2024, her memorable trips include: Maldives, Thailand and Laos. The recent trip to Laos was impressive with adventurous activities such as: zipline at an altitude of over 200 m, tree houses and kayaking in caves. Refreshing herself, recharging her energy and learning interesting things in life through exploring new lands and environments is what Nhi Dang always aims for.
7. Tam Bui
Tam Bui, an introverted photographer and travel blogger, always knows how to tell unique stories through images. Through his lens, every trip becomes a work of art, bearing the mark of stillness and depth. With a simple and honest way of telling stories, Tam Bui has created a private space where simple life values are appreciated. Although he does not have a large following, Tam Bui's messages always touch the hearts of viewers, evoking positive emotions.
Since the beginning of 2024, he has made about 8 trips to many new places, of which the trip to Harbin in winter brought him the experience of the coldest place he has ever been to with a comic-like scene. According to Tam Bui, traveling helps him broaden his horizons, learn from his companions and make new friends. He also realizes the value of taking care of himself, thanking his previous training efforts for having enough energy to enjoy the beauty of nature.
8. Ly Thanh Co
His journey to becoming a travel blogger began with a solo trip to Hong Kong when he was 22 years old. From then on, his passion for learning and exploring began to awaken in Ly Thanh Co. After his trips, he always received many questions from friends and relatives about his travel experiences. Therefore, in April 2015, he decided to write a blog. This is where Ly Thanh Co records the experiences and skills he has learned from new lands.
He believes that life is colorful and if we just stand still, we will not be able to see the beautiful diversity of the world. With that philosophy, Ly Thanh Co hopes to inspire people, especially young people, to dare to experience and embrace the differences. Ly Thanh Co's most memorable journey in 20 trips in 2024 was a self-driving road trip on the West Coast of the United States, participating in the vibrant Coachella music festival. After that, he continued his journey to New York, living in the colorful and dynamic moments of this city.
9. Ha La La (Bui Viet Ha)
Ha La La (Bui Viet Ha) - a photographer and film creator, is an icon for modern women, living with passion and inspiring to explore the world through each adventurous solo trip. She is an architect in Ho Chi Minh City with 12 years of experience, switching to content creation in 2018, when her first video attracted attention from many magazines and travel services.
Ha La La wants to bring authentic information, especially about lands that are little known or have many prejudices. Although the trips and destinations are adventurous, she conveys the content with a feminine, profound and emotional storytelling style. Since the beginning of 2024, Ha La La has made 8 trips abroad, focusing on indigenous cultures. The most prominent trip was to Zanskar, where she plans to make a documentary. Despite facing many risks, Ha La La always emphasizes respect and openness to diverse cultures, wishing to touch the hearts of audiences through each of her journeys.
10. Bear Vinh (Le Viet Vinh)
Vinh Gau, a travel blogger, has made more than 20 trips from the beginning of the year to September 2024. He is not only passionate about exploring the cultures of many regions but also focuses on experiencing wild nature and participating in wildlife conservation activities.
Recently, the journey to conserve sea turtles in Hon Cau, Con Dao has left a deep impression on him. This experience not only helped him better understand the importance of protecting marine life but also inspired him to call on the community to join hands to preserve the natural beauty of Vietnam.
Through each trip, Vinh Gau hopes to convey a positive message, arousing the love of nature in people, especially young people. He always emphasizes the importance of protecting and preserving the natural beauty that nature has bestowed. With authentic stories and images, Vinh Gau hopes to inspire and help people raise awareness of their responsibility to protect the environment and discover the hidden beauty of Vietnam.
11. The Ghost Valley Master (Ngo Tran Hai An)
Before becoming the man with the desire to travel and the dreamy soul of the present, Quy Coc Tu - Ngo Tran Hai An had experienced many other professions such as photojournalism, engineering, business, marketing director... In 2018, he suddenly tried his hand at a new role as a travel blogger and photographer, pursuing further goals and dreams. The trips are not simply journeys of discovery, but also contain unique experiences.
In 2024, he made 15 domestic trips and 10 international trips, exploring 11 countries. Notably, in Singapore, Quy Coc Tu had a rare opportunity to cover the event of Pope Francis' visit to this country. This was a special experience in his career as a reporter. He also joined Miss H'Hen Nie in the wildlife protection program in Dong Giang and Tay Giang, along with relief activities for victims of typhoon Yagi in Lao Cai. Through each journey, Quy Coc Tu not only stops at exploring but also conveys a positive message about protecting nature, the environment and spreading the spirit of volunteerism.
12. Fahoka on the move (Pham Hoan Khai)
In the travel community, although sharing the same passion as other travel bloggers, Fahoka has his own style. Through meticulous storytelling, his videos are not simply real experiences, but also include practical information, attracting curiosity and creating attraction for many people. Despite countless difficulties at the beginning, he still wants to travel around the world, explore the beauty of nature, culture, history, and beliefs of countries.
During about 5 trips since the beginning of 2024, mainly to places associated with special culture and customs, Fahoka was especially impressed with Burma (Myanmar). Despite the state of civil war there, people were still happy and enthusiastically supported him in cleaning up plastic waste under the longest wooden bridge in the world (U Bein) in Mandalay. For him, honesty and naturalness in exploration are the most important factors in the process of working. Fahoka himself always believes that each trip is not only an experience but also a meaningful lesson, bringing a message about sustainable tourism and respect for profound cultural values.
