GapEdu Consulting and Training, an Icon of Change

Icons of Change International Awards 2025
GapEdu Consulting and Training
Founded by Hanni Tran | Co-Founder & CEO: Jyrki Nilson
Sustainable Development Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
Changemaker for Inclusive, Responsible, and Regenerative Tourism (Global)
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For a quarter of a century, GapEdu Consulting and Training has been rewriting the story of tourism—proving that growth can be sustainable, profit can coexist with purpose, and destinations can flourish without losing their cultural or ecological soul. Founded in 2000 by Hanni Tran, a pioneer of community-based tourism in Vietnam, and driven forward today under the visionary leadership of Co-Founder and CEO Jyrki Nilson, GapEdu has become a trusted catalyst for governments, businesses, and communities seeking to align tourism with sustainability, resilience, and inclusive economic opportunity.
GapEdu’s early work laid the foundation for community-based tourism in An Giang Province, where local households were trained in homestay operations, eco-guiding, and craft enterprises. Within five years, incomes in participating villages rose by more than 40%, while cultural traditions were safeguarded as part of the visitor experience. This pilot program became a model replicated in other regions of Vietnam, influencing both provincial tourism policies and national strategies for inclusive rural development.
The organization’s expansion into urban destinations like Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Vung Tau highlighted its ability to operate at scale. In Da Nang, GapEdu partnered with the city government to design a Destination Sustainability Action Plan, integrating climate adaptation measures, green mobility, and community tourism hubs into the city’s long-term tourism strategy. In Vung Tau, GapEdu developed training programs for coastal communities, preparing them for sustainable roles in marine tourism while embedding biodiversity protection standards in local business practices.
By 2015, GapEdu’s expertise was recognized internationally, and the organization began influencing global tourism policy dialogues. Through platforms such as the Global Tourism Forum and World Magazine, GapEdu shared Vietnam’s success stories and shaped conversations around climate resilience, regenerative economies, and community empowerment. This growing international profile paved the way for its strategic expansion into Europe, establishing a new base in Finland and forming partnerships across the EU to promote sustainable tourism practices in Nordic and Baltic destinations.
GapEdu’s Policy and Strategy Advisory practice has since become a cornerstone of its global impact. In collaboration with governments, the team has co-designed national master plans that balance economic competitiveness with ecological responsibility. In one recent case, GapEdu worked with a Southeast Asian nation to reframe its tourism growth strategy—shifting from mass-market volume to high-value sustainable experiences, projected to reduce environmental strain by 30% while increasing tourism-generated income by 25% over a decade.
Central to GapEdu’s philosophy is the belief that tourism is more than an industry—it is a platform for cultural dialogue, equity, and regeneration. The organization has trained over 10,000 students, entrepreneurs, and community leaders in sustainable tourism practices, equipping them with the skills to participate meaningfully in the global tourism economy. From women entrepreneurs running eco-lodges in rural Vietnam, to young professionals in Finland trained in regenerative destination management, GapEdu has ensured that knowledge and opportunity flow to those who need it most.
The leadership of Jyrki Nilson has accelerated this mission onto the world stage. With over 25 years of senior roles at Finnair, Emirates Airline, GoSleep, and the World Tourism Forum Institute, he has brought deep expertise in global partnerships and destination branding. Under his stewardship, GapEdu has expanded its reach into cross-sector collaborations, uniting airlines, tourism boards, NGOs, and local communities to co-create resilient tourism models. His results-driven approach ensures that strategies are not just visionary, but actionable, producing tangible impact in both developed and emerging markets.
GapEdu’s body of work speaks directly to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, demonstrating how tourism can be a driver of dignified employment, equitable opportunity, and sustainable prosperity. In Vietnam alone, its initiatives have created hundreds of local jobs, raised community incomes, and introduced climate-conscious business models that protect livelihoods from environmental shocks. Internationally, its consultancy projects have reoriented tourism policies toward inclusivity and long-term sustainability, ensuring that economic gains do not come at the expense of people or planet.
As GapEdu celebrates 25 years of transformative work, its journey is far from complete. With new partnerships in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and a commitment to advancing climate-resilient tourism economies, the organization is poised to shape the next era of global travel—where destinations not only attract visitors but thrive for generations to come.
By honoring GapEdu Consulting and Training with the Icons of Change International Award 2025, we celebrate not just an institution, but a vision—a belief that tourism can serve as a force for regeneration, inclusion, and prosperity. GapEdu’s impact is measured not only in the policies it has shaped or the partnerships it has built, but in the lives it has uplifted and the destinations it has transformed. Its story is proof that with the right vision, tourism can be reimagined as a bridge between cultures, a steward of nature, and a powerful engine for sustainable development.
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