Tourism is still waiting for a boost from foreign visitors.

Businesses are looking forward to welcoming foreign customers.

According to recently released data from the General Statistics Office, the number of international visitors to Vietnam in May reached an estimated 916,300, a decrease of 6.9% compared to the previous month. In the first five months of the year, Vietnam welcomed nearly 4.6 million international visitors, 12.6 times more than the same period last year. Compared to the tourism industry's target of 8 million visitors for the whole year, Vietnam has already achieved 57%. Tourism leaders are confident that with the current growth rate and efforts in promotion, marketing, and organizing attractive tourism and cultural events, Vietnam's tourism sector can attract 10 million international visitors in 2023.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism assesses that the main driver of growth for the current international tourist market comes from China. After China reopened group tours to Vietnam on March 15th, the number of visitors in March and April reached nearly 200,000. In April alone, 112,000 Chinese tourists visited Vietnam, a 62% increase compared to March, achieving the highest growth rate among all international tourist markets.

This month also saw the highest number of Chinese tourists in the three years since the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, tourism promotion and marketing efforts by relevant agencies have been effective. This has led to a significant increase in searches for tourism in Vietnam. According to Google data, international searches for accommodation in Vietnam rank 11th globally , placing it in the group experiencing a 10-25% increase. Only Vietnam and the Philippines are among the top Southeast Asian countries in the world.

Vietnam needs more breakthrough policies to strongly attract international tourists.

However, compared to the same period in 2019, the total number of international tourists to Vietnam has only recovered to about 50-60%. The Chinese tourist market alone is only at 22%. While no longer overly concerned about the target of 8 million tourists, most tourism businesses are eagerly awaiting a rebound in the international tourist market. After a year of booming domestic tourism, Vietnamese people are increasingly traveling abroad, and revenue for the domestic service industry will face significant difficulties as tourist purchasing power shows signs of decline.

Ms. TL, the owner of a 4-star hotel in Nha Trang, said that during the recent April 30th - May 1st holiday, the hotel and restaurant system in the coastal city recorded very good revenue, helping businesses obtain additional funds to maintain operations after a long period of difficulty. This summer, Ms. TL's hotel has also received bookings for about 70% of its rooms, spread evenly from now until the end of August. However, the majority of current bookings are still domestic tourists, mainly families bringing their children for summer vacation, and the high booking rate is thanks to the discount program of up to 30%.

"Domestic tourists spend quite cautiously; compared to international tourists, their spending might not even be 50% of what it is. For example, foreigners who travel all day and return at night still call the reception to order food or use services like massage and laundry at the hotel. Vietnamese people almost never do that. My brother also works in the tourism industry, running a chain of restaurants and massage parlors along the coast, and even now he's only dared to reopen at 60% capacity because there aren't many international tourists yet," Ms. TL said.

While acknowledging strong tourism growth, the service system in Ho Chi Minh City is also facing an imbalance in customer sources, as it still relies heavily on the domestic market. According to Pham Huy Binh, Chairman of Saigontourist Group, since Vietnam reopened its tourism sector in March 2022, the number of international tourists using accommodation, travel, and other services within the Saigontourist Group system has steadily increased. In the first five months of 2023, Saigontourist Group welcomed and served 750,000 visitors, an 89.4% increase compared to the same period last year, with international visitors accounting for 285,000, representing only 38% of the group's total. While 4- and 5-star hotels in the city center have seen a higher proportion of international guests than domestic ones, they are still not reaching pre-Covid-19 levels.

Expectations for a breakthrough thanks to new policies.

Mr. Cao Tri Dung, Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, noted that the slow arrival of international tourists in Vietnam is a common situation due to the difficult global economic context and weakened purchasing power after three years of the pandemic. Demand hasn't increased while supply is excessive, causing businesses to continue facing difficulties. The tourism industry has already anticipated that it will remain challenging this year and next. In this context, new policies on attracting international tourists related to visas, currently under consideration by the National Assembly, are expected to create momentum and be one of Vietnam's strengths in increasing national competitiveness, especially considering that most neighboring countries have long since opened up their visa policies.

While a strong domestic market is the fundamental basis for tourism recovery, the key to growth and breakthroughs must be international tourists.

Mr. Cao Tri Dung, Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association

According to Mr. Dung, a more open and flexible visa policy will attract more tourists to Vietnam, improving its competitiveness as a destination. For some highly sensitive markets like China, if Vietnam opens up online visa services, the number of individual and family tourists will undoubtedly increase sharply. Before the pandemic, they were required to travel to Vietnam through sponsoring companies or tour groups, so their numbers haven't fully recovered yet. In addition, some nearby markets could attract immediate visa-free entry if granted unilateral visa exemptions. Distant markets, such as those from Europe and America, have a time lag of about 6 months to 1 year, allowing them time to plan and accumulate income for their trips.

"Overall, the new visa policies, if approved, will be a boost for the tourism industry, leading to a boom in the last six months of the year and in 2024. International tourists remain the most important source for the tourism system due to their spending levels and length of stay. As long as international tourism hasn't recovered, tourism businesses will continue to face difficulties. While strong growth in the domestic market is the fundamental basis for tourism recovery, the key to growth and breakthroughs must be international tourists," Mr. Cao Tri Dung emphasized.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of BRG Group, believes that Vietnam needs more policies focused on attracting high-spending tourists to improve the "quality" of its tourism. While the average daily spending of international tourists in Vietnam increased from US$91.2 to US$117.80 between 2009 and 2019, it remains very low compared to other countries in the region. Meanwhile, Vietnam possesses significant potential for developing new products, such as golf tourism. In 2017 and 2022, Vietnam was recognized as the best golf destination and hosted top-tier golf tournaments in Asia. In 2019, out of 5 million South Korean tourists visiting Vietnam, over 1 million played golf, generating billions of dollars in revenue for the tourism industry. Never before have so many tourists come to Vietnam to play golf as they do now. These tourists spend two to three times more than average tourists. They spend an average of $200-$300 per day and stay for 3-4 days.

"Recently, BRG's hotel in Phu Quoc hosted a wedding for an Indian billionaire, generating over 7 billion VND in revenue over 5 days. We expect the government to adjust policies and issue more solutions to attract more high-spending, long-stay luxury tourists," Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga cited as an example.

The government needs further guidance in implementing major programs and plans focused on restoring and developing tourism. In particular, there is a need for breakthrough policies, plans, and action programs to attract international tourists, with a proposal to have the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of tourism head the steering committee. At the same time, continued support is needed to resolve the obstacles and difficulties faced by tourism businesses that have been severely affected by the pandemic…

Mr. Pham Huy Binh, Chairman of Saigontourist Group

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/du-lich-van-cho-cu-hich-khach-ngoai-185230610012845577.htm