Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Long: Life is a journey.

The student is passionate about ecotourism.

As one of 349 educators recognized by the State Council of Professors as meeting the standards for the Associate Professor title in 2019, and the only Associate Professor in the field of tourism, Professor Pham Hong Long believes this is a recognition from the State of his contributions not only to training and research but also to the collective efforts of the Faculty of Tourism Studies and the academic prestige of the university.

“I am proud to be one of the first generation of well-trained tourism professionals, having studied tourism domestically and later having the opportunity to pursue master's and doctoral degrees abroad. The title of Associate Professor is an honor and at the same time places on my shoulders the responsibility of promoting tourism training and research at the Faculty of Tourism Studies to be one of the leading tourism education institutions in the country and reaching regional and global standards,” said the newly appointed Associate Professor Hong Long.

During his 20 years of activity, Associate Professor Pham Hong Long has completed 4 research projects/works; participated in 3 provincial-level research projects and 2 ministerial-level research projects.

Associate Professor Pham Hong Long has been passionate about ecotourism since his high school days. His love for tourism stemmed from his family's background in forestry. Therefore, as a final-year tourism student, he chose Ba Be National Park as his first destination for his scientific research...

When retained as a lecturer in the Faculty of Tourism Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, with the support of Australian experts, young teacher Hong Long produced a research paper entitled "Some Solutions for Developing Ecotourism in Ba Be National Park," which was included in the proceedings of the scientific conference commemorating the 5th anniversary of the Faculty's establishment.

Later, when given the opportunity to participate in field trips and conduct on-site research at many tourist destinations throughout the country, young teacher Pham Hong Long continued to delve deeper into research on ecotourism, community tourism, and sustainable tourism development. Teacher Hong Long conducted extensive research on the current state of planning and management in several national parks including Xuan Thuy, Cuc Phuong, Ben En, Cat Tien, Bach Ma, and Phong Nha-Ke Bang.

Connecting with international partners to develop sustainable tourism.

With many years of teaching and research in tourism, coupled with a Master's degree in Tourism Management in Malaysia and a PhD in Tourism in Japan, Associate Professor Pham Hong Long has a deep understanding of the challenges facing Vietnam's tourism industry. While experiencing rapid growth and making a significant contribution to the national GDP, Vietnamese tourism is currently developing "hot," focusing heavily on the number of tourists. Foreign tourists spend almost as many days in Vietnam as in other countries in the region, but their average daily spending is only about $96, compared to nearly double that in Thailand.

Recognizing that tourism development must harmonize three dimensions: economic, cultural, and social, Professor Hong Long focuses on research in sustainable tourism. Based on real-world data, Professor Long conducted a comparative study of tourism development policies in several countries, which was consulted by the National Assembly Office and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism during the revision and promulgation of the 2017 Tourism Law.

Associate Professor Pham Hong Long (standing furthest right) often advises students to travel a lot, and that traveling is the fastest way to learn.

Driven by the desire for the rapid, strong, and sustainable development of domestic tourism, the scientific conferences organized by the Faculty of Tourism Studies under the leadership of Professor Hong Long all focus on international integration.

Recently, on December 3-4, 2019, the Faculty of Tourism Studies organized an international scientific conference.Sustainable tourism development: Lessons learned for Southeast Asian countries.This attracted 60 scholars from 22 countries and territories to exchange and share knowledge, redefine the position, and assess the role of Vietnamese tourism in the context of integration.

“To support local people in developing tourism, for many years I have traveled to Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An to train local communities in communication skills and community-based tourism. We hope to instill this mindset in those involved in the most initial stages of tourism activities,” said Associate Professor Hong Long.

To ensure that tourism truly develops sustainably and with cultural depth, Professor Hong Long often advises his students to travel extensively, as travel is the fastest way to learn. As a famous person once said, "The world is like a book, and those who don't travel only read one page." Travel to turn the pages of that book. As tourism students, travel isn't about enjoyment, but about observing, learning, and accumulating experience.