54 is joining forces with Vietnam’s National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the Department of Physical Training and Sports to unlock Vietnam’s undeniable promise as a world-class golf destination.

The joint strategy includes building the first golf course star rating system to elevate standards, hosting the World Golf Summit in Vietnam in 2025 and crafting strategies to attract global sporting events and investments that will drive innovation and growth.

The two parties held a signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding on the development of golf tourism in Vietnam, marking a new milestone for this key segment in the Vietnamese government's strategic tourism plans. 

Speaking at the event, Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director General of VNAT, noted that Vietnam's tourism sector has experienced a rapid recovery in recent times. By 2024, the sector is expected to fully rebound to pre-pandemic levels, with projections of welcoming approximately 17–18 million international visitors and serving around 110 million domestic travelers, meeting the set targets. This achievement highlights tourism as a bright spot in the country’s socio-economic landscape. 

With its geographic advantages, diverse terrain along a stunning coastline, and unique cultural heritage, Vietnam holds tremendous potential for developing golf tourism. These attributes also provide an ideal foundation for establishing integrated entertainment and leisure complexes. 

Building on these inherent strengths, Vietnam’s tourism sector is striving to diversify its offerings by introducing new tourism products. Among these, golf tourism stands out as a highly promising segment and has been incorporated into the long-term strategies and development plans of the industry.

According to Director General Nguyễn Trùng Khánh, golf is increasingly recognized not only as a sport but also as ahigh-value economic sector. Vietnam's strategic and developmental plans have identified golf tourism as a key strength for advancing the country's tourism industry. This potential is underscored by prestigious accolades from the World Golf Awards, where Vietnam has been honored as "Asia's Best Golf Destination" for eight consecutive years and "World's Best Golf Destination" twice.

Recognizing the significant potential of golf tourism in Vietnam, Director General Nguyễn Trùng Khánh noted that the management and development of this segment in recent years have lacked a structured and professional approach. To achieve sustainable and effective growth in golf tourism, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism(MOCST) has tasked its functional units with researching and implementing proposals, strategies, and plans related to golf, aiming to position Vietnam as a leading destination for golf tourism and sports. 

As part of this process, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has received a proposal from 54 Vietnam Co., Ltd., outlining a strategic vision for and sustainable development of golf. This includes supporting the creation of golf-related standards to ensure quality and elevate Vietnam’s offerings in the global golf tourism market.

Jed Moore, Founder and CEO of 54, expressed his congratulations to Vietnam, stating: “Congratulations to Vietnam on the remarkable awards and achievements it has attained recently. Sport has incredible investment potential for governments.

If the investment framework and strategy are built out efficiently, with a sustainable outlook centred around new industry creation, effective social missions and environmental best practice mandates, there are few industries that can rival the impact that sports can have. 

Vietnam is perfectly poised to take some major steps in elevating its commitment to major sports partnerships and has already seen early successes with positive trends in its golf tourism sector.  

With global interests showing no sign of slowing and a growing commitment to establishing a national golf strategy, service standards will increase, advancements in the product diversity and experiences will accelerate and the sector will become a shining light for how other sports might look to structure their approach to building diverse new economies.” 

54 is a global leader in the development of sports such as golf. With extensive experience across various countries, 54brings innovative technological solutions to accelerate the growth of golf in Vietnam. Through this partnership, 54 is committed to contributing to the advancement of golf in Vietnam, enabling the country to surpass the successes achieved in other regions where the 54 has operated. 

Director General of the Sports Administration, Đặng Hà Việt, emphasized that golf is a globally recognized sport and an official competition in the Olympic Games, making it highly suitable for the physical attributes of Vietnamese athletes. In recent years, young Vietnamese golfers have achieved impressive results, winning numerous medals and major awards. However, the high costs associated with training competitive athletes in this sport present significant challenges for Vietnam's golf development. To address these challenges, Director General Đặng Hà Việt expressed his hope that, with the support of 54 Vietnam Co., Ltd., more international golf tournaments can be brought to Vietnam in the near future. This would help enhance the country's sports image, develop a team of professional athletes, and play a pivotal role in driving Vietnam's economic growth.

At the ceremony, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the Sports Administration of Vietnam (SAV), and 54 Vietnam Co., Ltd. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate in the development of golf tourism in Vietnam.

According to the agreement, VNAT will take the lead, in collaboration with SAV, 54 Vietnam, and Thua Thien Hue Province, to organize the World Golf Summit in Vietnam in Thua Thien Hue as part of the National Tourism Year 2025. Additionally, the parties will work on designing and implementing a detailed star-rating system for golf courses in Vietnam, while proposing strategies, ideas, and plans to attract resources and host international sports events in the country.