Vietnamese people see luxury travel as a 'lifestyle, not a whim'

Luxury tours are taking off, as Vietnamese tourists are willing to spend more than 100 million VND for a "true experience" journey.

Vietnamese consumers are looking for high-end and high-value experiences. In photo: Diners at Vinpearl Landmark 81, Autograph Collection - Photo: MH

BenThanh Tourist Company has just announced the product "Tour of the Year 2026", with the destination being New Zealand, after this country received the highest number of votes in more than 35,000 customer surveys conducted by this travel company.

New consumer trend: Pay more for a better experience

This is a tour product designed with a selling price of nearly 100 million VND for a 6-day, 5-night tour, and the price increases to more than 130 million VND if the trip lasts 8 days and 7 nights.

Mr. Thi Quoc Duy - Director of BenThanh Tourist Retail Travel Center - said that "Tour of the Year 2026" is announced at the end of each year, and regardless of the route, it is in the highest-end product line, the itineraries meet the expectations of customers.

The survey lasted for more than 11 months, attracting more than 35,000 participants. In the final results, New Zealand took the lead with 4,932 votes, followed by Japan with 4,388 votes, France with 4,079 votes, South Korea with 3,562 votes and China with 3,280 votes. The next positions belonged to Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United States with close votes.

"The fact that New Zealand leads the vote shows that Vietnamese tourists prioritize original and unique destinations. They increasingly desire higher quality trips, better service and truly different experiences. That is why we build a high-end tour line, 'designed' based on the true desires of tourists," said Mr. Duy.

The survey also shows that tourists are willing to pay more for premium experiences, such as pristine natural experiences, high-class services, safe environments, convenient transportation, etc. Mr. Duy commented that these trends completely coincide with current international tourism tastes.

The trend of leaving crowded urban areas to find nature and cultural depth is becoming the new norm for tourists. In addition, visitors pay attention to the value of truly 'worth-the-money' journeys, where each experience is different and almost impossible to find in any other destination.

According to records, currently, in addition to the popular tour product line, travel companies are launching high-end products with prices from 100 million VND or more. "For each product, we only set a target of 250-300 customers per year, with a departure frequency of 1-2 tours per week," said a sales staff of a travel company in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh City welcomes many international tourists thanks to its vibrant lifestyle economy - Photo: QUANG DINH

Tourists: "Go to enjoy"

According to experts from Vietnam Report, if in the past, travel was considered a "luxury reward" for special occasions, it has now become a popular expense in personal budgets, associated with the need to regenerate energy, take care of the spirit and balance emotions in a busy life.

Survey data suggests that consumer spending behavior is entering a “mature” phase, where spending decisions are no longer driven by impulse, but are shaped by a clear perception of the value of experiences. The majority of survey respondents said they travel an average of two to three times a year.

In terms of spending, the trend of "selective investment" is increasingly evident. The customer segment spending 10-15 million VND per trip still accounts for the largest proportion (36.7%), but it is noteworthy that the group spending from 15 million VND or more is growing rapidly, concentrated in the high-income segment in large cities. This trend shows that Vietnamese people not only travel more, but are also willing to invest more in each journey, prioritizing service quality, privacy, sustainability and the emotional value that the trip brings.

More broadly, this shift is not only a change in spending habits, but also an adjustment in lifestyle: travel is no longer a "reward" after hard working days, but has become a long-term investment in mental health and quality of life.

This trend is pushing the high-end segment into a new competitive race for travel businesses, where "experience-designed" products are taking the lead and becoming the growth driver of the entire industry.

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HAI KIM

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-viet-xem-du-lich-cao-cap-la-loi-song-khong-la-ngau-hung-20251203135531369.htm