Thai Nguyen, Vietnam — Student entrepreneurs from Vietnam and the Philippines gathered at the Thai Nguyen University of Science (TNUS) for the ECOViP Bootcamp 2025, a week-long intensive program held from July 28 to August 2, 2025, focusing on ecotourism innovation, sustainability leadership, and international collaboration. Guided by the theme “Leading Opportunities in Tourism Using Sustainable and Ecological Development,” the bootcamp brought together top-performing student teams whose ecotourism projects emerged as winners from local competitions across ECOViP partner universities.
The opening day featured an official welcome led by TNUS leadership, followed by an interactive agenda briefing and team icebreakers. Students immediately began pitching their ecotourism business concepts, setting the tone for a dynamic week of learning and project refinement. A hands-on Residues Workshop challenged participants to rethink sustainability through waste reduction and creative reuse.
Day 2 offered a deep dive into tourism communication, design thinking, and SDG integration. Notably, PUP’s Krupskaya Valila facilitated a workshop on marketing and communication strategies for ecotourism ventures. Sessions on local tourism policies and sustainable development strategies in Thai Nguyen province enriched participants’ understanding of Vietnam’s sectoral landscape. The day ended with a cultural exchange that highlighted cross-cultural dialogue among ASEAN and European partners.
The third day brought students out of the classroom and into the field. Ecotourism site visits—including Tien Yen Farm Stay and Thái Hải Ethnic Village—allowed participants to apply sustainability analysis tools on real ecotourism destinations. These immersive experiences strengthened the teams’ ability to contextualize their ideas within authentic, community-based environments.
On Day 4, students presented the results of their sustainability checks and participated in a Business Idea Reality Check workshop led by experts from Europe. The ECOViP Project Management Board simultaneously conducted its management meetings, ensuring alignment of academic, research, and industry-driven objectives.
The fifth day showcased the culmination of the students’ hard work. During the ECOViP Project Showcase, teams presented their refined ecotourism business proposals in a public, livestreamed event attended by mentors, industry partners, and academic leaders. The awarding ceremony recognized exceptional innovation, sustainability integration, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Throughout the week, the ECOViP Bootcamp strengthened international networks, deepened student competencies in sustainable entrepreneurship, and reinforced shared commitments to ecological development in tourism. As the participants return to their home institutions, they bring newfound skills, global insights, and strengthened motivation to advance sustainable tourism innovations within their local communities.
