According to Dr. Daisy Gayathri - lecturer, Tourism & Hospitality Management, RMIT University Vietnam, there are currently two tourism award models in the world : paid and free.

A paid award means that a business or destination pays a certain amount for nomination and participation.

The positive side of this award is that businesses strengthen their brand and presence in the market. But they also have to pay an additional fee to receive the award and build a network. However, with this type of award, people will question its reliability and transparency.

The other model is that the awards are based on consumer votes and expert scores. Businesses and destinations must always face competition and a more rigorous voting process.

"So winning this award is like holding the Oscar of the tourism industry in your hand, being recognized for consumer satisfaction and this is a very sweet victory," Dr. Daisy Gayathri explained.

So who needs international awards?

Now, new categories are emerging in travel awards. The world is also starting to have awards based on community votes, technology, travelers but at the same time also charging for some categories.

"The need for tourism awards and whether or not to pay for them depends on the priorities of each destination, organization, and how they perceive the value of tourism awards.

But it's important to consider what a business wants to achieve after winning an award, especially when they're paying for an award.

Compared to the long-term commitment to brand reputation, I think Vietnam does not need to pay for the award. Because as a destination rich in identity and beautiful nature, Vietnam has won without having to pay," Dr. Daisy Gayathri emphasized.

At a workshop on expert perspectives on tourism awards recently organized by Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Magazine, Mr. Nguyen Duc Tri - Head of Tourism Department - University of Economics , emphasized that when participating in an award, businesses must know how to take advantage of it.

For example, many awards start charging an application fee right from the time of application, so businesses should promote right from that moment, rather than waiting until the award is announced to do communication.

Each year, Thailand selects about 5-10 travel agencies from different countries to be honored. The award ceremony is usually attended by the Prime Minister and delegates, and turns the awards into an opportunity to expand the network.

Recently, many destinations in Vietnam have been honored by international magazines and websites, such as Hoi An ancient town (Quang Nam, Vietnam) which was honored to top the list of the safest solo travel destinations in the world compiled by the American website Smoky Mountains.

Or Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are in the top 10 cities with the lowest travel costs in Asia, while by country, Vietnam is the cheapest in Southeast Asia...

At the national level, Vietnam tourism was voted by the World Travel Awards for many different categories such as "Asia's Leading Destination 2023"; "Asia's Leading Natural Destination 2023". The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism excellently achieved the title "Asia's Leading Tourism Management Agency 2023".

However, many awards have received mixed opinions because the voting and judging criteria are unclear.