The cross-Vietnam caravan visits Hue.

Catching the trend

On the "check-in" routes of caravan tours (a type of travel by private vehicle, in groups of 2 or more vehicles, traveling by road, potentially through multiple regions or countries), Thua Thien Hue is one of the interesting destinations. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Thua Thien Hue has regularly welcomed caravan groups. In 2022, Hue hosted a very large caravan group with 70 vehicles (4 and 7 seats) and 250 tourists. The group departed from Tuyen Quang province, traveled through many provinces and cities, and had many experiences in Hue. In 2023, a caravan group of 19 cars with 47 Thai tourists also chose Hue as a travel destination. In the first quarter of 2024, Thua Thien Hue welcomed 6-7 caravan groups from Thailand and other provinces and cities in both the north and south of Vietnam.

In many countries around the world , caravan tourism has been around for a long time, popular in Europe and North America. In Vietnam, caravanning is gradually becoming more popular, as more and more people own their own cars, are passionate about travel, and want to experience driving on new roads, especially the beautiful routes through Thua Thien Hue.

The target of welcoming approximately 3.5-4 million tourists in 2024, with domestic tourists accounting for about 60-70%; total tourism revenue of around 7,500-8,000 billion VND, and continued growth in subsequent years, is not too far-fetched for Hue tourism, but requires many solutions. In the context of changing tourist trends, exploiting and creating new, unique, and attractive products that enhance the experience is what the local tourism industry needs to focus on, and the caravan tourism trend is no exception.

In fact, Hue's travel businesses have also exploited the caravan tourism trend. Mr. Tran Quang Hao, Director of Huetourist, said that Huetourist Company once organized a caravan tour using private vehicles for a group of tourists from Hue City to A Luoi. With caravan tourism, tourists can proactively plan their itinerary, have the opportunity to experience and conquer the routes themselves, and experience the unique local culture up close. The value brought by caravan tours is a very good media effect.

According to many travel experts, after the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, the demand for experiential travel increased again. The travel habits of many tourists also changed as they desired to proactively plan their itineraries, have the opportunity to experience and conquer routes themselves, admire the picturesque scenery along the way, escape the city to immerse themselves in nature, or combine their trips with charitable activities, learn about local culture, and assist local people with tasks that the group has expertise in – activities that mass tours often lack.

Thua Thien Hue boasts beautiful scenery, making it an ideal location for caravan tours. For example, A Luoi and Nam Dong offer challenging and highly exploratory routes, with destinations showcasing local culture and diverse homestay options. Additionally, coastal routes can be explored, starting from the center of Hue City and connecting to Thuan An, Vinh Thanh, Loc Binh, Canh Duong, and then to Hai Van Pass. With services related to the sea, this route is perfect for families, friends, and loved ones seeking unique experiences.

Find ways to exploit it effectively.

To effectively utilize and exploit its tourism potential and strengths, Thua Thien Hue province has set the goal of developing tourism into a key economic sector, creating momentum for growth and economic restructuring. In recent years, Thua Thien Hue's tourism has made significant progress, but compared to its existing potential and strengths, its development is still not truly commensurate with its potential. Besides improving and enhancing the quality of existing tourism products, diversifying and developing new products that meet tourist demand is a necessary direction to attract visitors, and this includes finding effective ways to capitalize on the caravan tourism trend.

Besides organizing caravan tours to explore destinations within the province, with the current strong tourism development linkages, the scale and duration can be expanded by connecting with Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Da Nang, Quang Nam, or via the Ho Chi Minh Highway, exploring the unique characteristics of mountainous districts in these localities; it is even possible to coordinate and combine tours to explore Vietnam and Laos. Mr. Do Ngoc Co, Chairman of the Provincial Travel Association, believes that the essence of caravan tourism is to explore and experience new routes, crossing Vietnam or passing through multiple countries. Therefore, to achieve effectiveness, connecting many localities is essential to reach the set goals.

Mr. Truong Thanh Minh, Director of the Tourism Information and Promotion Center, shared that the greatest value of caravan tourism is its very positive media effect. However, the difficulty lies in the high cost of organizing caravan tours. Tour plans often involve crossing Vietnam for many days, requiring professional units with supporting teams, vehicles, equipment, and escort vehicles. In addition, businesses must be professional in handling unforeseen situations. For localities, organizing tours involves many stages, from surveying destinations to developing products, promoting and introducing them, to businesses offering and selling products to tourists. Developing caravans requires a long process with the combined efforts of many parties, including management agencies, businesses, and the people.

The provincial tourism industry is continuing to research and refine tourism products, developing new ones based on customer demand, including the trend of caravan tourism. In the near future, Hue will also coordinate effectively with relevant departments and localities to welcome domestic and international caravan groups, creating a positive media effect and bringing many benefits to tourism development.

Huu Phuc