HÀ NỘI — Golfer Greg Norman has been named a Việt Nam Tourism Ambassador, aiming to promote Việt Nam as a destination for golfers.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện granted the certification for Norman for the term 2018-2021, yesterday in Hà Nội.

Australian Norman was one of the top golfers in the world in the 1980s and 1990s, winning two Open Championships. Since retiring, he has developed more than 100 golf courses around the world and launched various other business ventures.

His company is in charge of designing five golf course projects in Việt Nam, including The Bluffs Hồ Tràm Strip in Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province, KN Golf Links in Nha Trang City and Golf Club in Đà Nẵng.

While working in Việt Nam, he fell in love with the country and wanted to promote Việt Nam as an attractive destination for golfers.

“During 40 years playing golf and travelling around the world, I haven’t seen any country with impressive growth of golf like Việt Nam,” he said about the country.

“Through golf, I will promote Việt Nam tourism to the world as well as bringing international golf events to Việt Nam.”

Thiện lauded Norman’s willingness to contribute to the Vietnamese tourism sector.

Thiện said Việt Nam had received 16 million international tourists since the beginning of 2018, with 1.5 million of them coming to Việt Nam to play golf.

Australian Ambassador to Việt Nam, Craig Chittick congratulated Việt Nam for selecting a great Australian as a Tourism Ambassador.

"Norman has a global brand with a reputation based on achievement and generosity and would attract even more tourists to Việt Nam," he said.

Last year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also appointed Lý Xương Căn (Lee Chang-kun) as a Tourism Ambassador of Việt Nam.

Lee is the 31st generation offspring of King Lý Thái Tổ (974-1028). He was born in the Republic of Korea in 1958 and was naturalised in Việt Nam in 2010.

Lee recommended himself for the position in a letter sent to the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts was appointed Việt Nam’s Tourism Ambassador for the 2017-2020 tenure. He was the first film director to take on the position, aiming to bring Việt Nam’s people and culture to international friends and closer to Hollywood film producers and directors. — VNS