Podcast: Luxury & Vietnam Tourism
Dr. Pham Ha – Founder & CEO, LuxGroup®
1. OPENING – SPARKING INTEREST
Host:
“Luxury is a word everyone hears, but what does it really mean in tourism? Today, we meet Dr. Pham Ha – the founder of LuxGroup®, who has redefined luxury not by material possessions, but through experiences, culture, heritage, and the Vietnamese spirit.”
Dr. Pham Ha:
“In the world of luxury, there are three elements: luxury homes, luxury goods, and luxury services. Within that, luxury travel and ultra-luxury account for just 5% of the global travel market (ILTM).
For me, luxury travel is about personalization, culture, and sustainability. It’s not about diamonds or gold plating, but about emotions, connections, and meaning. Vietnam’s greatest difference on the global map does not lie in skyscrapers, but in hospitality, cultural identity, and timeless stories.”
2. PERSONAL JOURNEY & PHILOSOPHY
Host: “How did your journey begin?”
Dr. Pham Ha:
“In 1985, before Vietnam’s reforms, I took the Thong Nhat ship with my father from Hai Phong to Nha Rong Wharf in Saigon. That journey planted in me a dream: to escape poverty and one day build great ships to sail into the open sea.
In the 1990s, studying foreign languages also opened the door to French culture, arts, and human connection. I studied in France, worked on the film The Vertical Ray of the Sun by Tran Anh Hung, helped design interiors for the Opera Hilton, then returned home as a tour guide, salesman, and operator.
From these experiences, I realized: what travelers remember most is not five-star hotels, but the stories of a fishing village, a folk song, or the smile of a mother in the countryside.
That insight led me to found Luxury Travel – the precursor of LuxGroup®. I often call LuxGroup a ‘small giant’: we may not be the biggest, but we carry the vision and ambition to elevate Vietnam through heritage and authentic storytelling.”
3. LUXURY & VIETNAMESE IDENTITY
Host: “How is Vietnamese luxury different from Paris or Dubai?”
Dr. Pham Ha:
“In Paris, luxury is haute couture or a croissant at dawn; in Dubai, it’s supercars and gold-plated towers. But in Vietnam, luxury is listening to ca tru in a private home, sipping fine wine aboard a yacht in Ha Long Bay, viewing Indochine paintings by Pham Luc, or hearing the legendary story of shipping magnate Bach Thai Buoi – who dared to compete with the Chinese and Westerners, and won, a century ago.
Vietnamese luxury is cultural, refined, humanistic, and sustainable.
It doesn’t chase glitter; it touches the heart. If I had to choose one symbol, it would be the Vietnamese people – hospitable, resilient, authentic, and rich in emotions.”
4. EXPERIENCE & DETAILS
Host: “Luxury often lies in the smallest details, doesn’t it?”
Dr. Pham Ha:
“Absolutely. Luxury is the art of details and emotions. A warm scarf on a windy night, a cocktail mixed exactly to your taste, a surprise birthday on the bay, or simply staff remembering your name after the first meeting – that is true luxury.
Showy luxury overwhelms; refined luxury touches your soul and makes you want to return. That is the difference LuxGroup® strives for.”
5. LUXURY & SUSTAINABILITY
Host: “Isn’t there a contradiction between luxury and sustainability?”
Dr. Pham Ha:
“On the contrary. True luxury must be sustainable. Wasteful extravagance will never last.
At LuxGroup®, we embed ESG into every detail: energy-efficient yachts, reduced plastic use, working with local fishermen, reviving traditional artists and crafts. Today’s luxury travelers want exclusivity, but also peace of mind knowing their choices help protect the planet.
Every boutique concept we create tells a story – whether through Bat Trang ceramics, Kim Giao chopsticks, lotus tea, Vietnamese art, or traditional music like ca tru and hat van. These details bring heritage to life in refined spaces.”
6. TRENDS & THE FUTURE
Host: “Where will Vietnam stand on the global luxury map in the next decade?”
Dr. Pham Ha:
“Vietnam has 3,260 km of coastline, 54 ethnic groups, a thousand-year-old culture, and nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
By 2045 – when Vietnam celebrates 100 years of independence – I believe we can become Asia’s leading luxury tourism hub.
Technology like AI, big data, and VR will personalize services even more, but the core will always remain Vietnam’s stories and identity.”
7. PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
Host: “And personally, what does luxury mean to you?”
Dr. Pham Ha:
“For me, luxury is simplicity – the highest form of sophistication. It is having time for myself: a quiet morning coffee, reading, reflecting, writing, or owning a painting with a story behind it.
I even bring my personal Pham Luc art collection onboard so guests can ‘breathe with the sea’ while experiencing it. Luxury is freedom, serenity, and connection.
Our philosophy is simple:
Luxury is personal, cultural, and sustainable.
This is not only LuxGroup’s definition, but also our vision for Vietnamese tourism.”
8. CLOSING MESSAGE
Host: “If you could send one message about Vietnamese luxury to the world, what would it be?”
Dr. Pham Ha:
“I would say: Vietnamese luxury is not for show – it is for living. It is not just where you go, but how you feel, and how you carry the soul of Vietnam in your heart.
This is why LuxGroup® – though a ‘small giant’ – carries a great ambition: to create Vietnam Waterways®, continuing the dream of Bach Thai Buoi a century ago, and bringing Made-in-Vietnam yachts to the world.
That is the future of Vietnam’s tourism: luxurious, cultural, sustainable, and global.”