Tourists vacationing at Alba Thanh Tan

High potential, high demand

Even before their children's summer vacation, Mr. and Mrs. Le Hoai Lam, from Ho Chi Minh City, were already planning a summer getaway to Hue. Their choice was a seaside resort, offering both closeness to nature and a variety of relaxing experiences. Mr. Lam said, "The air in Hue is fresh and peaceful. Listening to the sound of the waves and looking at the blue ocean is very soothing."

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed travel trends. More and more travelers are choosing isolated resorts for safe travel, aiming to rest, relax, and improve their physical and mental health. Many travelers also prefer shorter trips.

According to tourism experts, Vietnam is highly regarded for its development in the wellness tourism trend. With its natural advantages, attractive long coastline, rich cuisine , favorable weather, and recreational facilities designed to rejuvenate tourists, many domestic tourist destinations have recently created a "craze" for wellness tourism, including Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc…

In fact, Hue has many favorable conditions for developing resort tourism. Nature has bestowed upon Hue many beautiful landscapes. Hue has Bach Ma Mountain with its mild climate year-round and is one of the few locations in the country that the French chose to build a resort in the past. Hue has nearly 130km of long and clean beaches, including the world-renowned Lang Co Bay, Canh Duong, Thuan An, Vinh Thanh beaches, and more recently, the emerging beaches of Quang Cong and Quang Ngan… Life in Hue is gentle, peaceful, friendly, and suitable for relaxing getaways.

Hue also boasts numerous resorts built in peaceful settings, allowing visitors to easily immerse themselves in nature. These high-end resorts are secluded, providing guests with a sense of comfort and preventing the hustle and bustle of daily life from disrupting their moments of relaxation. Examples include the Laguna luxury resort complex; the Vedana eco-tourism resort in Mui Ne, Phu Loc… In 2023, Alba Wellness Valley resort was ranked among the top 1 best hotels in the world for nature lovers; top 1 most sustainable hotels in the world; top 1 best hotels in the world for families; and top 2 best wellness resorts in the world. With the advantage of possessing a natural hot spring rich in minerals, Alba Wellness Valley has fully utilized its strengths to offer a unique wellness journey for mind and body… Even in the city center, Hue has resorts that have been recognized with the ASEAN Green Hotel Award, such as the Pilgrimage Village…

Take advantage of opportunities to attract customers.

Two of Hue's traditional and main tourist segments are Western Europe and Northeast Asia. These are also two markets with very high demand for leisure tourism. When large resort complexes are developed, combined with golf courses, casinos, etc., leisure tourism will meet the diverse needs of tourists and create a perfect combination with cultural and heritage tourism.

Currently, Hue has begun operating health and wellness tourism tours. These tours combine wellness tourism with relaxation, creating a product that helps tourists achieve balance in body, mind, and spirit.

Mr. Truong Thanh Minh, Director of the Tourism Information and Promotion Center, said that in the coming time, health and wellness tourism products will also be upgraded to suit the needs of tourists. In particular, in the future, these will combine high-end resort services with medical services combining Eastern and Western medicine. The tourism industry is continuing to research and refine the product, aiming to offer on-site health check-ups at resort destinations for guests.

According to the Director of the Department of Tourism, Nguyen Van Phuc, resort tourism is a popular type of tourism, and for many years, the Thua Thien Hue tourism industry has paid great attention to attracting investment and improving its products. Hotels and resorts in Hue have also continuously received many prestigious international awards. In 2024, two resorts in Vinh Thanh and Lang Co will become operational to serve tourists. The local government and the tourism industry are also implementing many favorable mechanisms to attract investment and add services to meet the needs of tourists.

Guests who choose high-end resorts are also demanding, requiring high-quality service and a highly skilled workforce. To achieve this, in addition to on-the-job training, it is crucial to focus on developing high-quality human resources to create a professional image for tourism services in Hue. Furthermore, it is essential to strengthen promotional efforts, especially targeting traditional markets, particularly Western Europe and North America.

In the long term, to contribute to promoting resort tourism, it is necessary to continue investing in and upgrading infrastructure, especially the transportation system to tourist areas. This will be invested in comprehensively, helping to connect resort areas with each other and making it easier for tourists to visit Hue.

Text and photos: HUU PHUC