Pattaya makes Vietnamese tourists come again and again without getting bored

Thailand Vietnamese tourists are in the top 3 markets that visit Pattaya the most. The tour route has been exploited for decades, but Pattaya always knows how to innovate to please customers.

Responding to VnExpress at the Amazing Thailand & Pattaya Roadshow 2024 event in Ho Chi Minh City in early April, Ms. Patsee Permvongsenee, representative of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said that in 2023, Vietnamese tourists will be in the top 3 Pattaya tourism markets with the most visitors, along with China and India. Bangkok and Pattaya are also two familiar destinations for Vietnamese tourists and are included in most Thailand tours operated by Vietnamese travel companies.

Pattaya, a city in Chonburi province, 150 km from Bangkok, has tours departing year-round, just like Bangkok.

Ms. Patsee Permvongsenee, Managing Director of Southeast Asia, South Asia and South Pacific of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, at an event to promote Thai tourism to Vietnamese visitors in Ho Chi Minh City in early April. Photo: Tourism Authority of Thailand

Mr. Thi Quoc Duy, Director of the retail center of BenThanh Tourist Company, said that he started operating the Bangkok - Pattaya tour route in 2004. After 20 years, this tour route still has the top number of bookings and a high rate of returning customers. The destination is familiar to Vietnamese tourists for many years but "does not cause boredom because Thailand always knows how to renew old tourism products", Mr. Duy said.

In addition to the attractions, the coastal city also has entertainment areas, night markets, walking streets, and night shows that are always bustling with tourists. Pattaya has a long beach right in the city center, where music events and food fairs take place continuously.

Some travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City said that Pattaya is currently chosen by many businesses as a place to organize MICE (tourism activities combined with seminars and conferences). Traffic here is convenient, moving from the hotel to locations in the city is quick. The cost of doing MICE is cheaper than Bangkok because the locality attracts more and more businesses to invest in infrastructure just to serve tourism combined with seminars and conferences, creating price competition.

Vietnamese tourists in Pattaya on April 3. Photo by O Vi Khang

Mr. Ninh Phan, 33 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City, said that he first traveled to Pattaya about 10 years ago. Since then, he has returned to the city 4 times. Mr. Ninh said that Bangkok and Pattaya are destinations that can be visited at any time of the year because there are activities for fun and entertainment in every season.

"In Pattaya, day and night, it's always bustling. During the day you can go canoeing to see the sea, at night you can go to bars to have fun and watch art shows," said Mr. Ninh.

Ms. Dao Thu, living in Hanoi, said that this was her first time in Thailand and she booked a 5-day, 4-night tour and spent 2 days exploring Pattaya. She commented that the seascape here is not very special, but the professional tourism services are the highlight that makes guests feel "pampered".

Four Regions Floating Market is a popular tourist destination in Pattaya. Photo: Pattaya floating market

Ms. Patsee Permvongsenee said that the average length of stay of Vietnamese visitors to Pattaya is about 2-3 days. Popular destinations include Pattaya beach, night walking street and Bon Mien floating market. Seafood and shopping places for fashion and souvenirs also attract Vietnamese visitors to spend money.

"Vietnamese tourists are one of the potential groups and tend to increase in number, which is positive for Pattaya tourism," said Ms. Permvongsenee.

Pattaya is also transforming itself according to the new directions of the Thai tourism industry to attract international visitors, of which Vietnamese visitors are the key market. In 2024, the city will organize 52 events over 12 months, an average of 4-5 events per month, including traditional festivals, sports tournaments, and international music events. In April, there is the Songkran Water Festival.

Pattaya is promoting new tourism products for Vietnamese tourists such as community tourism experiences in Takhian Tia and Panatnikhom. These are indigenous communities with rich cultural identities in Chonburi province. This year, sea tourism activities such as SUP and sailing have also been renewed.

In 2024, the Tourism Authority of Thailand aims to transform Thailand's tourism industry into High Value and Sustainable Tourism, emphasizing value creation and sustainability. TAT also responds to the government's policy to promote Thailand as a Tourism Hub, promoting the image of Thailand as a 365-day destination. Secondary local products are upgraded to new tourist destinations by connecting tourism routes from key tourist cities to secondary provinces and cities. Thailand wants to use the hub to become the center of world-class entertainment events, elevating traditional local festivals to global events.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has identified Vietnam as an important short haul outbound tourism market for Thailand. In 2023, the number of Vietnamese visitors to Thailand will be in the top 10 markets, reaching the 7-digit group (millions of arrivals) with more than 1 million arrivals. This figure is 96% compared to 2019.

Bich Phuong

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