Nha Trang University is incredibly proud to announce the outstanding achievements of its student team, ECOGUIDE, at the recent ECOViP Bootcamp LOTUS SEED. The team's innovative project and diligent work earned them multiple prestigious awards, highlighting their commitment to sustainable ecotourism development.
The ECOViP Bootcamp, officially named "Leading Opportunities in Tourism Using Sustainable & Ecological Development!," is an intensive, one-week summer program. Held in July 2025 at the Thai Nguyen University of Science in Vietnam, the Bootcamp brought together a diverse group of student entrepreneurs, mentors, and experts from various institutions across Europe, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Attendees hailed from partner Higher Education Institutions including Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University Portucalense, University of San Carlos, FH JOANNEUM, University of Alicante, Nha Trang University, Lyceum of the Philippines University - Batangas, Can Tho University, and Thai Nguyen University of Science, along with non-academic partners such as BAETAS.
This intensive one-week summer program featured a comprehensive agenda designed to foster innovation and entrepreneurial skills in ecotourism. Key activities included daily workshops covering critical areas such as marketing and communication, innovation in ecotourism experiences through design thinking, integrating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into business proposals, and refining business ideas through "reality checks". Participants also engaged in project pitching sessions, undertook invaluable ecotourism site visits to locations like Tien Yen Farm Stay and Thai Hai Ethnic village to discover local ecotourism ecosystems, and refined their projects during dedicated student working sessions, culminating in the ECOViP Showcase Project presentations and an Awards Ceremony.
Nha Trang University's Team ECOGUIDE, with their project named "Ecoguide," comprises dedicated students from the Faculty of Tourism: Tran Hoang Thuc Dan, Pham Huynh Phuc, Ngo Trong Duc, Ta Khanh Thien; and the Faculty of Information Technology: Luong Van Linh. Their mentor for the project is lecturer Nguyen Thanh Quang and Ho Hoang Dieu Linh. During the Bootcamp, they further refined their project, culminating in a public showcase on August 1st, 2025.
The hard work and innovative spirit of Team ECOGUIDE were recognized with three significant awards at the ECOViP Showcase:
- ECOViP Bootcamp Progress Award: This award recognizes the team who made the most significant progress during the Bootcamp, particularly in the development of their business plan, sustainability aspects, and presentation skills.
- ECOViP Innovation Award: This award celebrates the entrepreneurial project that is most innovative, including its use of digital tools.
- ECOViP Most Promising Project Award: This accolade is given to the team whose entrepreneurial project shows the most potential to become a real business.
The ECOViP project, which stands for "Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Ecotourism to support sustainable development in Vietnam and the Philippines," is a three-year capacity-building initiative in higher education. Co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ program, it runs from May 2023 to April 2026. ECOViP aims to improve the quality of higher education and enhance its relevance for the labor market in Vietnam and the Philippines, specifically by promoting the development of innovative interdisciplinary entrepreneurial ecotourism projects by HEI students in cooperation with the business sector, and by developing a roadmap for improving Tourism education programs. Nha Trang University is a proud partner in this international collaboration, alongside universities from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Europe, as well as non-academic partners.
