Australian legend to advise Vietnam on boosting golf tourism

By Vy An March 24, 2019 | 05:07 am PT

Vietnam’s Tourism Ambassador Greg Norman, an all-time great, will be a senior advisor to the Vietnam Golf Tourism Association.

Golfer Greg Norman spoke Friday with representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the Tourism Association about golf tourism in Vietnam.

There has never been a country that has such an opportunity to develop golf tourism and is so hospitable like Vietnam, he noted.

Normal also suggested the making of a short documentary of golfing facilities in the country. He has accepted an invitation to be a senior advisor to the Vietnam Golf Tourism Association (VGTA), which will be established at the end of this month.

Greg Norman, hailing from Australia, was appointed as the Tourism Ambassador of Vietnam in October 2018 with a 3-year term. Photo courtesy of Australian Golf Digest.

Greg Norman, appointed Tourism Ambassador of Vietnam in October 2018, will also be a senior advisor to the Vietnam Gold Tourism Association. Photo courtesy of Australian Golf Digest.

Norman will advise VGTA on introducing Vietnamese courses to the world to attract international golfers. He will also share his experience and expertise on branding to help Vietnam become a golf tourism destination.

Over the last 10 years that he has been in Vietnam, Normal has designed three golf courses. He plans to set up a golf training school for Vietnamese learners in the future.

Golf tourists account for 0.5 percent of international arrivals in Vietnam, compared to 2 percent in Malaysia and 9 percent in Thailand, according to Ngo Hoai Chung, vice head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).