Experiential tourism is on the rise in the summer

Summer is always considered the 'golden time' for tourism. Instead of 'racing to check-in' like before, this year, tourists are increasingly looking for profound experiences, connected with nature, culture and relaxation.

Recharge

To start this summer, Ms. Thu Cuc in Tay Ho District ( Hanoi ) decided to take her children on a 3-day vacation and camping trip in Huu Lung (Lang Son). This is a new and quite hot destination in the North recently.

"Every year, during summer vacation, my family takes us to the beach for a few days. This year, the children are older and are at the age of exploration , so my family decided to go to Huu Lung - a place with wild natural scenery, mountains, forests, and cool streams. For the first time, the children experienced a slow pace of life, sleeping in tents at night, catching crabs and snails in the morning, rowing boats and bathing in the stream in the afternoon, it was so much fun...", Ms. Thu Cuc shared.

Experiential travel close to nature is chosen by many families during the summer.

PHOTO: T.MY

According to Ms. Cuc, with a distance of more than 100 km, the cost of food and homestay services is quite suitable for families or groups of friends.

"In the context of economic difficulties, families have to tighten their purse strings, so choosing nearby destinations with reasonable costs will save half compared to traveling to the sea by plane," said Ms. Cuc.

Explaining this change, Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel, shared: "Previously, many people traveled with the mentality of "checking in for the sake of it", "going for the sake of it", choosing large package tours. Now, tourists tend to travel to fewer destinations but stay longer, live more slowly, learn more about local culture, cuisine, and indigenous lifestyle. This trend is clearly shown through tours to experience agriculture, craft villages, or wellness tourism (resorts combined with health care).

According to Mr. Tu, many tourists no longer go on traditional tours, but choose to travel independently or in small groups, and can hire private drivers and tour guides. Glamping (luxury camping), farmstay (farm exploration resort), and ecolodge (eco-resort) models are attracting the attention of many families and young people...

Especially after the pandemic, tourists prioritize open spaces, close to nature, avoiding crowded places. Traveling is now not only to "de-stress" but also to recharge, connect with loved ones, or learn something new.

Enriching the visitor experience

According to the 2025 travel trends report by Booking.com, more and more Vietnamese families consider travel as a necessary activity in their annual schedule, not only for relaxation and sightseeing but also to connect emotionally and improve mental health.

65% of Vietnamese travelers see travel as a great opportunity to spend time together. It can be seen that family trips are now not only an opportunity to sightsee, but also an opportunity to create meaningful moments with loved ones. Notably, 41% said they plan to increase their travel budget in 2025 compared to last year to create more meaningful and engaging experiences with loved ones.

More and more Vietnamese families consider travel as a necessary activity in their annual schedule.

PHOTO: T.MY

Search data on Booking.com also reflects that, during summer vacations, beach trips (61%) and nature exploration (59%) continue to top the list of choices for Vietnamese families.

Mr. Varun Grover, Country Director of Booking.com in Vietnam, informed: "Vietnamese families are approaching travel with a new mindset in 2025, which is to emphasize purpose and connection over geographical distance. What is important is not only "where to go" but also "who to go with", especially when summer, the ideal time to connect and experience together, is approaching. Those moments are the material to create beautiful memories and long-lasting bonds between family members".

Keeping up with this trend, travel agencies also have flexible and proactive policies. Mr. Pham Van Bay, Deputy Director of Vietravel Hanoi branch, said that summer is always considered the "golden time" for tourism, where families, groups of friends, and colleagues plan to explore new lands and enjoy long, emotional vacations.

With nearly 40% of the year's visitors coming from the summer, this unit has launched the program "Green experience - quality summer touch", offering deep discounts for family groups, groups of 3 or more, and free tickets to visit destinations associated with nature and environmental education. Vietravel applies a discount policy of up to 1.5 million VND/person when registering for a tour in groups of 3 or more during the promotion period.

"One of the most obvious trends of the summer of 2025 is the strong increase in customers traveling in groups. It can be multi-generational families, groups of close friends, groups of colleagues with the same interest in exploring. Not only does it help optimize costs, this form also brings a complete experience and stronger connections between members. Bringing children closer to nature will help them learn how to love and protect the environment from an early age," Mr. Bay analyzed.

Not stopping at traditional destinations, businesses are expanding new tour routes to enrich the experience for tourists.

In addition to the routes to explore the famous places in the provinces of Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Son La, Lang Son, Hoa Binh, etc., tours to explore the countryside of Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac, Thai Nguyen tea hill tours, etc. also attract many visitors. Thanks to increasingly convenient transportation infrastructure, upgraded accommodation services, diverse walking tours and ethnic minority cultural experience services, which were previously only for foreign visitors, are now also popular with domestic visitors.

Beware of scams

With the help of technology, travelers can now take the initiative in planning, from hunting for cheap airfares, booking hotel rooms, to choosing experiences that suit their own personalities. However, this convenience also comes with risks, as travelers can become victims of sophisticated scams.

Therefore, according to Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, although technology makes booking services more convenient, tourists still need to be alert to carefully check information, compare prices, read terms carefully and prioritize reputable units.

"Traveling is a journey of exposure to diversity - from culture, cuisine to people. If you can keep an open mind, not set too high expectations, and be ready to behave civilly, the trip will be much smoother and more memorable," Mr. Tu advised.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/du-lich-trai-nghiem-len-ngoi-trong-mua-he-185250617201526078.htm