How can we get wealthy tourists to be willing to spend lavishly in Vietnam?

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - The sales director of a large hotel chain believes that if high-end tourists are willing to pay for services in Vietnam, every experience and service needs to touch the emotions of the guests.

Characteristics of High-End Tourists: For many years, those in the tourism industry have been striving to find ways to position Vietnam's tourism brand. Instead of being a budget travel destination, many aspire for Vietnam to become a high-quality, upscale destination to attract high-end tourists. In fact, Vietnam has welcomed many international groups with high spending power from key markets such as South Korea, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Most recently, in August, a group of 4,500 Indian tourists visited Vietnam. However, generally speaking, according to experts, the number of high-end tourists with high spending power in our country remains quite modest. Therefore, the question of how to create products that effectively target this group of tourists when they come to Vietnam is a matter of particular concern for tourism managers and businesses providing high-end tourism services. This issue was also discussed by experts at the seminar "Which Products for High-End Tourists Visiting Vietnam in 2024?" held on October 11th in Hanoi. According to Mr. Nguyen Hoai Bao, Director of Wildtour Travel Company, this group of high-income tourists seeks unique experiences, demands high-quality amenities and personalized service. They are also interested in sustainable tourism and wellness tourism. Among high-end tourism products, luxury resort vacations are the top choice, with spending ranging from US$1,500 to US$10,000 per night (VND 37 million - VND 250 million). This group is particularly interested in unique tourism services such as scuba diving, golf, cruises, wildlife exploration , and cave exploration.

Over the years, Vietnam has welcomed delegations of billionaires who have come here to hold lavish weddings.

Meanwhile, according to research data, Liam Cordingly, chief economist of the Oxford Economic Research Organization, said that on average, tourists visiting Southeast Asia (including Vietnam) are willing to pay an additional $250 per person per day (6.2 million VND) to visit tourist destinations that offer high-end culinary experiences. To elevate products and attract wealthy customers willing to spend more, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Thuy, Business Director of the Silk Path hotel system, believes that to attract high-end tourists to Vietnam who are willing to pay extra, the services provided need to touch their emotions. This means understanding the customer. "Clearly, we cannot use ordinary tourism products to attract this group of customers; we need to design something specific. Each customer has their own requirements and needs. From cuisine to service and all the small details surrounding them, everything needs to satisfy the customer's preferences," Ms. Thuy analyzed. Sharing the same viewpoint, Ms. Ngo Thi Huong, Deputy General Director of Sales and Marketing at Vinpearl Joint Stock Company, noted that for the high-end segment, each customer requires unique and personalized products. The most important thing is understanding who the customer is and what they want in order to correctly identify the services they need and develop products that suit their goals. "We have built a culinary map on Hon Tre Island, so whether staying 3 days and 2 nights or 4 days and 3 nights, tourists can experience a diverse range of international cuisines. Tailoring products to each customer segment will encourage them to spend more," Ms. Huong shared.

Mr. Nguyen Hoai Bao, Director of Wildtour travel company, shared that bird-watching tours are very expensive for customers (Photo: NH).

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietravel , believes that the deciding factor in whether an experience is considered high-end is the impression it leaves on the customer. Recounting the story of his travel agency welcoming a group of 4,500 Indian tourists to Vietnam in August, Mr. Ky said that the billionaire arrived two days early and experienced riding in a basket boat in Hoi An. Upon disembarking, the guest was excited and exclaimed "Excellent!" To ensure a safe basket boat trip for the billionaire, Vietravel hired five divers to assess the safety of the boats and selected the most skilled boatman. These details demonstrate the need for meticulous service to ensure customer peace of mind and safety. Mr. Ky believes this is an indispensable element in building a high-end product. In addition, Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the National Tourism Administration, emphasized that to develop high-end tourism, the role of businesses and localities is crucial in linking products, perfecting processes and standards for high-quality service, and forming an ecosystem that provides high-end products and services for tourists.

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/lam-sao-de-khach-nha-giau-toi-viet-nam-san-long-doc-can-tui-20241011230420392.htm