In October 2025, the opening ceremony of the Master’s Program in E-Tourism was solemnly held at the Danang International Institute of Technology (DNIIT) – The University of Danang, with the participation of the Institute’s leadership, lecturers, and all new cohort students. Notably, Ms. Ho Long Ngoc, M.A. – Vice Director of the Department of Science & International Cooperation of the University of Danang – attended the event and took the opportunity to introduce and promote the SOHO project to all students and lecturers present.

In her presentation, Ms. Ho Long Ngoc shared information about the project “Smart, Optimized, High-Quality, and On-Demand Tourism Innovative Education for Sustainable and Green Development” (SOHO). Co-funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) under the Erasmus+ programme, the project aims to support higher education institutions in applying smart technologies, renewable energy, and digital solutions to create sustainable, efficient, and personalized tourism education experiences. Introducing the SOHO project at the opening ceremony contributed to spreading the message of green and smart tourism education trends to the future generation of tourism managers.

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism plays a particularly important role for developing countries in the current context. To keep pace with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, traditional tourism business models are gradually transforming, giving way to e-commerce and electronic tourism (E-Tourism). Seizing this trend, the University of Danang and the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (now Université Côte d’Azur – France) – partners in education and scientific research cooperation for more than 20 years – signed an agreement to jointly organize a joint Master’s degree program in E-Tourism, awarding a French national Master’s degree.

This is a “study-abroad-at-home” program, with the curriculum and degree fully awarded by Université Côte d’Azur (UNS-UCA). The program is directly managed and operated at the University of Danang by the Danang International Institute of Technology (DNIIT), in coordination with the member universities of UD.

The program’s objective is to train flexible senior managers who can respond to a dynamic and constantly changing tourism economy; manage tourism enterprises while integrating information and communication technologies (ICT); and anticipate, promote, and evaluate business development based on ICT skills. Graduates of the Master’s in E-Tourism will possess key competencies such as:

• Defining and organizing the implementation of corporate strategies;
• Designing, implementing, promoting, and managing tourism products, services, and enterprises;
• Developing communication events for tourism organizations;
• Enhancing and managing cultural and natural heritage.

In particular, the opening ceremony also marked an important milestone: the launch of the construction and integration of the HUB – Enhanced Knowledge & Competence Centre for Smart and Sustainable Tourism at the Center for Research and Career Counseling, Self-funded Study Abroad of the University of Danang. This is one of the key outcomes of the SOHO project led by the University of Danang, aiming to create a space that supports training, research, consulting, and connecting stakeholders in the field of smart and sustainable tourism.

The presence of Ms. Ho Long Ngoc and the introduction of the SOHO project at the opening ceremony reaffirmed the University of Danang’s strong commitment to innovating tourism education and linking international training programs with global green and smart trends. Students of the Master’s in E-Tourism not only gain access to a French-standard curriculum but also connect with the knowledge and competence ecosystem built by the SOHO project, ready to become pioneering managers for Vietnam’s tourism industry in the digital era and sustainable development./.