This study explores the determinants of school-enterprise collaboration in tourism human resource training in South Central Viet Nam, where tourism plays a pivotal economic role. Building on the Theory of Planned Behavior and extending it with context-specific factors, including trust, competitive advantage, perceived risk, self-efficacy, social support, and barriers, the research develops a comprehensive framework to predict collaborative intention and behavior. Data were collected from 209 leaders and faculty members at universities, colleges, and vocational schools in South Central Viet Nam between March and June 2024 and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Results indicate that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly influence collaboration intention, which subsequently predicts collaborative behavior. Competitive advantage and trust positively affect attitudes, whereas perceived risk exerts a negative effect. Policies and social requirements strengthen subjective norms, while self-efficacy and social support enhance perceived behavioral control. The model explains 41.9% of the variance in intention and 47.0% in behavior, confirming its robustness. The study contributes to TPB literature by integrating tourism-specific and institutional factors and provides practical implications for policymakers and educators to strengthen partnerships, enhance capacity, build trust, and implement supportive policies to address skill mismatches in Viet Nam’s tourism sector.