German newspaper: Tourism in Vietnam

On July 5th, dw.com (Germany) published an article stating that Vietnam is rapidly becoming one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia, offering tourists diverse landscapes, beaches, mountain terraces, and bustling cities.

An article on dw.com highly rates Vietnam as a destination in Southeast Asia. (Screenshot)

According to a report by Google Destination Insights, Vietnam was the 7th most searched destination between March and June 2023 and the only country in Southeast Asia to make it into the top 20.

Bobby Nguyen, chairman of Rustic Hospitality Group, told DW that the growth was mainly driven by tourists from China, India, and South Korea: “China has reopened its outbound tourism market to Vietnam, and the Indian market has grown since 2022.”

According to Bobby Nguyen, using social media and the influence of large tourism corporations also helps promote Vietnam's image internationally: "Using multiple online communication channels such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, advertising channels on Google, or other social media channels is also the fastest way to promote Vietnam's image to the world ."

Adjusting visa policies helps boost tourism.

Recently, the government approved a new visa policy for international tourists visiting Vietnam, tripling the visa-free period from 15 to 45 days for certain countries.

These adjustments will take effect on August 15th. Gary Bowerman, a tourism analyst in Kuala Lumpur, believes that the visa regulation changes will help boost the tourism industry: “The tourism industry is growing, and in the next six months, the number of tourists coming to Vietnam will increase. I think there will be strong growth, especially when the Chinese market returns.”

Mr. Bowerman noted that one of Vietnam's appeals is that it's a lesser-known destination offering both tourism and business opportunities: "Many young people now want to learn a little more about Vietnam. I think Vietnam has a lot that's not yet known. I think Thailand is perhaps more well-known. Vietnam offers a sense of discovery and mystery. It's a country where people want to invest, do business, and travel."

Vietnam's tourism industry - a rising rival to Thailand.

For travel companies in Vietnam, the new visa policy and the prospect of attracting more international tourists are very welcome news.

Max Lambert, owner of Fuse Hostels & Travel, said: “I’m really looking forward to what’s to come. We’ve seen a significant increase in international guest numbers over the past three months, and we’ve added that bookings have returned to 2019 levels.”

However, the number of international visitors to Vietnam has not yet reached pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels. This means that Vietnam still has a long way to go if it wants to compete with Thailand's tourism industry.

Mr. Bobby Nguyen believes that Vietnam needs to improve several areas to maximize its tourism potential: “Tourism is an integrated economic activity, and ministries and sectors need to coordinate closely. Infrastructure, including highways, railways, and roads, has not kept pace with the development of the tourism industry. Retraining and new training for personnel working in the tourism sector are necessary to meet service quality standards.”

According to Mr. Bowerman, “Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam wasn't really considered a rival to Thailand, but it was certainly an emerging competitor. Vietnam is seen as the next attractive destination in Southeast Asia's tourism industry. Vietnam will continue to maintain this appeal.”

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bao-duc-du-lich-viet-nam-diem-den-day-hap-dan-o-dong-nam-a-se-tang-truong-manh-me-trong-6-thang-toi-233819.html