On May 15, 2026, within the framework of the Design Thinking course taught by Dr. Lê Sơn Đại, K64 Hospitality Management students had the opportunity to meet Ms. Đinh Thị Huyền – Chief Executive Officer of Agritage Vietnam and Founder of the Vân Hồ Agritage Heritage Agricultural Village model. During the sharing session, Ms. Huyền provided valuable practical insights into how design thinking can be applied to address the challenge of balancing cultural preservation, local livelihood creation, and sustainable tourism development.
At the beginning of the session, Ms. Đinh Thị Huyền shared her inspiring and dedicated journey. Driven by a deep passion for indigenous culture, she has spent many years working alongside local communities in Sơn La to develop the Vân Hồ Agritage project in Bướt Village. The project is recognized as the first model heritage agricultural village in Vietnam, pioneering the harmonious integration of nature-based farming, preservation of indigenous knowledge, and experiential cultural tourism.
One of the highlights of the session was the way the speaker translated Design Thinking theory into practical lessons within the tourism industry. Ms. Huyền emphasized that, in order to develop sustainable tourism products, the “Empathy” stage must always come first. Businesses need to deeply understand and balance both the livelihood needs of ethnic minority communities and the experiential expectations of tourists. Based on this empathetic approach, Agritage has addressed social challenges such as job creation, cultural preservation, and organic agricultural development through practical business solutions, thereby creating a model that remains deeply rooted in local identity while meeting professional service standards.
The classroom atmosphere became increasingly dynamic during the Q&A session between students and the guest speaker. Students actively raised questions regarding the feasibility of eco-tourism, sustainable operational models, and approaches to building trust within local communities. Ms. Huyền openly addressed each question, helping students gain a clearer understanding of the strong connection between design thinking and real-world management practices.
The session concluded with heartfelt appreciation from the class representatives and memorable group photos. The authentic stories and practical lessons shared by Agritage Vietnam not only provided students with vivid perspectives on the Design Thinking course, but also inspired Hospitality Management students to pursue a professional path grounded in responsibility, integrity, and sustainable value creation for the future service industry workforce.