Tourism is accelerating early.

Never before have so many overseas Vietnamese tourists bought tours this year!

"Unusual" is the word that Ms. Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Director of Marketing and Communications at Saigontourist Travel Company, used to describe the number of overseas Vietnamese customers who booked services through her company during this year's Lunar New Year holiday. Overseas Vietnamese customers who booked tours before Tet accounted for 80% of Saigontourist's total customers. After Tet, 60% of customers were also overseas Vietnamese.

Overseas Vietnamese returning home for Tet (Lunar New Year) are entering Vietnam at Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh City). The number of overseas Vietnamese booking tours before Tet this year has increased dramatically.

"Never before has the company recorded such a large number of overseas Vietnamese tourists, surpassing even the pre-pandemic period of 2017-2018. In fact, Saigontourist Travel has always had a loyal group of overseas Vietnamese customers, primarily middle-aged to older individuals. Whenever they return to Vietnam, they automatically book tours with us. However, the company also recognizes that this group will become increasingly older, the number returning to Vietnam will gradually decrease, and the younger generation will have new options or prioritize independent travel . Therefore, the significant increase in overseas Vietnamese tourists this year, with a large number of young people, including second-generation individuals traveling with their older relatives, has truly surprised us," Ms. Tra shared.

According to a representative from Saigontourist Travel, overseas Vietnamese often choose longer tours, a minimum of 5 days, and sometimes extending to 8-10 days. They focus on tours that explore culture and offer experiences in Central Vietnam (Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An, etc.) and Northern Vietnam (Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh, and the Northwestern provinces).

These are usually all-inclusive tour packages with quite high costs, not including the money spent on souvenirs. Unlike domestic or international tourists, each overseas Vietnamese returning to Vietnam for Tet (Lunar New Year) must purchase at least two tours. Before Tet, they might travel to the Southwestern region, and during or after Tet, they might travel to the Central and Northern regions, usually in family groups including relatives.

"Currently, the trend is that overseas Vietnamese not only return home for Tet (Lunar New Year) but also visit sporadically throughout the year. When they return to Vietnam, they prefer to buy tours from reputable companies and join other overseas Vietnamese groups. Therefore, Saigontourist Travel is also developing specific products for this customer segment, serving them year-round," a representative from Saigontourist Travel said.

Vietluxtour Travel Joint Stock Company also noted a good increase in the number of overseas Vietnamese purchasing Tet holiday tours, which is considered a potential surprise factor for the first peak tourist season of this year. Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Director of Communications at Vietluxtour Travel Joint Stock Company, stated that their overseas Vietnamese customers belong to the middle-class family market, interested in and booking resort services at 4-5 star resorts. They primarily focus on relaxation and do not require extensive sightseeing. This is a niche market that travel companies are targeting amidst the difficult economic climate and families cutting back on travel budgets.

Introducing images of Ho Chi Minh City.

To support businesses in welcoming overseas Vietnamese, this year, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, is organizing the "Spring in the Homeland" program in Ho Chi Minh City after a 7-year hiatus. The program will take place on February 1st and 2nd (corresponding to the 22nd and 23rd days of the 12th lunar month of the Year of the Rabbit).

Within the framework of the program, President Vo Van Thuong and his wife will preside over several meaningful activities with overseas Vietnamese, such as: a flower and incense offering ceremony to President Ho Chi Minh and President Ton Duc Thang; and the traditional ritual of releasing carp on the day of the Kitchen God Festival. In particular, Ho Chi Minh City will organize for overseas Vietnamese to experience Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien), designed as a tourism program, along with many city tours to introduce to those living abroad an image of the city that is developing and transforming day by day.

International tourists flock to Vietnam.

Besides being busy preparing for the upcoming Lunar New Year peak season, the tourism ecosystem has been bustling with activity since the beginning of the year, welcoming international visitors.

Notably, Phu Quoc has made an impressive comeback. Initially considered a destination with a disappointing 2023, the island saw a surge in visitors, especially international tourists, from the end of the year onwards. On average, Phu Quoc welcomed between 2,000 and over 2,500 international visitors daily, with Korean tourists accounting for over 50%. In particular, the launch of the Kissing Bridge and the Sunset Town entertainment complex, invested in by Sun Group, during the festive season brought a vibrant and lively atmosphere to Phu Quoc in the final days of 2023.

As a result, during the 2024 New Year holiday, Kien Giang welcomed over 120,000 visitors for recreation and relaxation, including over 15,000 international tourists. The occupancy rate of rooms at tourist accommodation establishments reached 63.2%, and total tourism revenue reached 369 billion VND.

To date, after nearly a month of operation, Phu Quoc's first seaside night market has been likened to a Western-style street, with the witty comparison that "there are 10 international tourists per square meter." "The atmosphere here is always lively. From the colorful signs to the music, games, and shows. Here, we can drink beer, listen to live music, and dance until late at night. I've been here for three consecutive days, and it's always fun," shared Alexander, a tourist from France, excitedly while dancing with friends at Gion Bar.

Vietnam is attracting a large number of cruise ship passengers.

In Ho Chi Minh City, in the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), the streets are not only ablaze with the vibrant yellow, green, pink, and red hues of women in flowing ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dresses) posing for spring photos, but also bustling with groups of Western tourists scattered along every street. Along the hotels on Ly Tu Trong, Le Anh Xuan, and Le Thanh Ton streets (around District 1), from 7 am onwards, families and couples of foreign tourists can be seen leisurely enjoying coffee right in front of their hotel lobbies. Inside Ben Thanh Market, many stalls selling food, confectionery, coffee, clothing, and accessories are crowded with international visitors, mainly from India, South Korea, Japan, and Europe.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the recent New Year's holiday saw approximately 46,528 international visitors to the city, an 86.1% increase compared to the 25,000 visitors during the same period in 2023. Notably, cruise ship passengers – a high-end tourist segment from Europe, the US, Australia, Japan, and other countries – are experiencing very strong growth.

Over the past few days, Saigontourist Travel has continuously welcomed numerous international cruise ships to Vietnam, visiting ports across the country and offering cross-Vietnam travel experiences. Just yesterday morning (January 21st), 3,000 multinational tourists aboard the super cruise ship Celebrity Solstice arrived in Vietnam. After docking at Phu My port, the group participated in tours exploring Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces organized by Saigontourist Travel.

In Ho Chi Minh City, cruise ship groups often choose itineraries that include visiting cultural and historical landmarks, cycling around the city to explore its vibrant life, and experiencing cultural and entertainment activities and shopping. It is expected that in the following months of the first quarter of the cruise tourism season, this unit will serve 42 ships, bringing cargo and passengers to Vietnam.

A year of accelerated tourism growth.

In summary, the tourism industry in 2023 was pleased to have achieved and surpassed the targets set at the beginning of the year for tourist arrivals, especially international visitors, reaching 12.6 million, nearly 3.5 times higher than in 2022. Along with the impressive recovery in tourist numbers, the domestic tourism market saw an increase of 1,175 international travel agencies, 3,709 tour guides, and approximately 3,000 tourist accommodation establishments compared to 2022.

In 2024, Vietnam aims to welcome approximately 17-18 million international tourists and serve 110 million domestic tourists; total revenue from tourism is expected to reach around 840,000 billion VND. In the most ideal scenario, if the figure reaches 18 million, the tourism industry will be considered to have fully recovered, returning to the record levels of 2019.

According to Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, after nearly two years of implementing recovery measures, Vietnam's tourism industry is on an upward trend. Many localities have seen strong growth in visitor numbers; the Vietnamese tourism industry has proudly received numerous prestigious international awards, including 19 top-ranked awards worldwide and 54 top-ranked awards in Asia from the World Tourism Awards (WTA). "With the achievements made in 2023, 2024 will be the time for tourism to accelerate and increase its competitiveness with other countries in the region," Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh anticipates.

Entering 2024, according to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, the global tourism industry will continue to face many difficulties and challenges, especially in the context of a constantly changing and unpredictable global situation; slowing economic growth, continued inflation; conflicts in various regions showing no signs of abating, and increasingly evident climate change…

According to forecasts by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), international tourism could fully recover by the end of 2024, reaching the same levels as in 2019. However, the recovery will be uneven across regions.

Assessing the outlook for 2024 as promising for the international tourism market, Chairman of Sun Group, Dang Minh Truong, expressed confidence that Government Resolution 82 (issued in May 2023) on key tasks and solutions to accelerate the recovery and development of tourism effectively and sustainably will continue to be a boost for Vietnam's tourism industry, increasing its attraction of foreign tourists. Furthermore, Vietnam's tourism image continues to be highly regarded internationally. In recent times, Vietnam has consistently won prestigious tourism awards, such as the World Travel Awards. Many Vietnamese destinations are increasingly appreciated by the international community.

"According to a recent announcement by Travel Lemming – an online travel guide website – Phu Quoc Island ranks 6th among the top 50 tourist destinations in 2024. The renowned American travel website Travel Off Path recently published an article explaining why Vietnam is increasingly becoming a favorite destination for 'digital nomads' with its relaxed visa policies. The official launch of the Proposal event after a long wait, along with many other high-class tourism projects and products such as La Festa Hotel, VuiFest night market, and the Kiss of the Sea show, has also become a focal point of public attention and is making an initial impression on the international tourism community. We can expect that more international tourists will learn about and visit Vietnam in 2024 and in the future," Mr. Truong commented.

Vietnam's aviation industry makes an impressive recovery.

Outbox Company (Outbox) - a market research and travel data analytics company - has just released its "Vietnam Tourism Landscape 2024" analysis report. The report forecasts an increase in international passenger traffic to Vietnam in 2024.

According to the report, Vietnam's aviation industry has recovered impressively after the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions both domestically and internationally, and is projected to be the 5th fastest-growing aviation market globally by 2035. Furthermore, despite the challenges in 2022 and rising operating costs in 2023, Vietnam's hotel industry has shown resilient recovery. Specifically, occupancy rates and underlying performance are trending upwards, indicating a positive outlook for 2024. Alongside this, the hotel trade remains strong, and the hotel investment market is fully recovering.

Based on the above indicators, the tourism landscape in 2024 is developing along key trends such as tourism segments focused on personalized experiences, wellness, ecotourism, and sports, which will experience high demand.

SOURCE: NATIONAL TOURISM ADMINISTRATION - GRAPHICS: BAO NGUYEN

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