“I am confident that Vietravel will have a respectful name in the history of Vietnamese travel agencies.”

Operating in the two most difficult fields of tourism and aviation, it feels like the energy of the head of Vietravel Corporation Nguyen Quoc Ky is always inversely proportional to what he is facing. Because for this businessman, to develop in line with the times, it requires stepping out of the comfort zone. Stepping out to look back, evaluate, create a clearer path, and build a more correct direction.

Vietravel's 3-decade journey with values bearing the strong mark of its leader is thanks to his proactiveness in stepping out of his comfort zone and accepting challenges...

What is it about "Vietravel's 30th Anniversary Journey" that makes you so excited?

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky: It is indeed very exciting. We have gone through a brilliant journey of 20 years old (2014 - 2024) with the slogan "youth rising up". This year marks the end of 10 years of "the journey of being a pioneer", also 10 years since Vietravel was equitized and 5 years since its listing. At such a big milestone, we must aim for the goals for the next 10 years. Fortunately, the 3 biggest goals on Vietravel's journey of 30 years old are completely in line with the general orientations and policies of the Party and the State.

Vietravel sets a strategy to transform from "professional travel organizer" to "creator of living values for society"

What exactly, sir?

Green Business – Digital Business – Connected Business.

First, let's talk about Green Enterprises. Nowadays, wherever we go, people talk about green stories, green transformation, green economy. In fact, since 2013, Vietravel has been pursuing "Go Green". We have launched and organized launching ceremonies in all provinces and cities, gradually fulfilling our commitments with the most practical actions such as distributing biodegradable plastic bags to customers on our tours across the country; organizing cleaning and garbage collection at tourist hotspots... However, this journey has not been successful due to many reasons, from both general policies and people's awareness.

Until the Prime Minister committed at COP 26 to reduce net emissions to zero by 2050, we knew “the time has come”. We will use the “carbon footprint” index to evaluate our entire product system, measuring the level of emissions from transportation, accommodation, food and beverage… to entertainment activities… from there, we will propose the most effective solutions to reduce emissions.

Second is digital enterprise. Talking about digital transformation, I am confident that Vietravel is a pioneer in the Vietnamese tourism industry. We have been digital since 2006 - 2007 when we launched the online sales system, which was quite new in the Vietnamese market at that time. This move by Vietravel has changed the entire picture of domestic travel companies. They had to build a booking series - a pre-sale system, pre-sale online so that customers can conveniently arrange their schedules. Nowadays, no one can imagine a travel company without an online sales system. In the world, many businesses have gone one step further, converting into an application or an OTA platform. This is also Vietravel's orientation, gradually transforming its network into an OTA, multi-dimensional, multi-spatial, multinational. That means digitizing all activities to be the fastest and most convenient for customers and for us in operation and management. I like to joke that the goal is to bring the entire service to the customer's bedside.

Third, Vietravel must build a circular ecosystem based on connecting the components and elements of tourism. These are three specific strategies to transform Vietravel from a “professional travel organizer” into a creator of living values for society. In particular, digital enterprises will be the breakthrough point, creating infrastructure and systems. If this is done well, it will solve both green and connection.

In 2021, at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, you "gave birth" to Vietravel Airlines. Now that the economy is in trouble, you have a strategy to transform Vietravel into a "creator of living values for society". It seems like you always make things difficult for yourself or is crisis your "taste"?

Crisis means the end of the old and the birth of the new, so it requires new perspectives. After the pandemic is a completely new society: fast, safe and high quality. It sounds contradictory but it is very logical. Because everyone feels that life is too precious and impermanent, making people have no time to think and consider too much. However, because of that, safety must be put first. In particular, the need for social contact, the need to expand communication and accessibility is greatly reduced, replaced by specialization and personalization. This is very strange and only the pandemic can create that. Obviously, if you do not catch up quickly, you will be left behind and someone else will replace you immediately. You even have to go first. You cannot sit and wait for customers if they ask you to go here, like that and then build a product, but have to do it in advance, create a trend to attract them. You can no longer go along but have to go first. Half a step is fine, but you have to go first.

But to move forward, we need to step out of our comfort zone. What is our comfort zone? It is the achievements we have made, the position we have achieved in the market and in the hearts of our customers. We need to step out to look back, evaluate, create a clearer path, and build a more correct direction.

So how did you “step out of your comfort zone”?

That is the third part of Vietravel's strategy that I mentioned above.

The nature of travel is to use a very wide service system. If you can connect it in a circular business ecosystem, you will naturally have value. Therefore, you must take the initiative to stand up, proactively connect to create a business ecosystem so that no matter who the customer uses, you are included in it.

For example, Vietravel proactively invited VinFast to cooperate in using 30-45 seat electric cars to reduce emissions. We launched a cross-Vietnam tour from North to South with 7 multi-modal transport routes, including rail, road, air and waterway. The tour is sold for 2 years, customers can go at any time. If you have free time, you can buy a section of the year, and gradually travel over 2 years to complete the cross-Vietnam journey. In which, VinFast will take care of the road, Vietravel Airlines will take care of the plane, we have also discussed the train with Vietnam Railways Corporation, we have tried the Hue - Da Nang route and it was successful, we are discussing combining some more routes. Similarly, in terms of cuisine, we have worked with the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association to plan to digitize the Vietnamese culinary map in each region and area. On that basis, customers can connect and go to places to enjoy cuisine throughout the regions. Vietravel is also discussing with partners about shopping and souvenirs to add added value for tourists.

Vietravel Airlines honored as Asia's leading travel experience airline

Obviously, if there is an application that connects food, transportation, entertainment, and accommodation, customers using Vietravel services will also access the tourism value chain in the fastest, most convenient, and cheapest way. Like when you came here (Vietravel headquarters - NV), if you travel by Xanh SM, you will receive some discount options from Vietravel.

That means we rely on each other, connect with each other to serve customers. All units in the tourism ecosystem are present in that journey, all benefit.

I remember in the conversation last year on this occasion, you seemed quite tired, if not depressed because “working in aviation is a mess”. And now, it seems that “optimists always find opportunities in every difficulty” that you once said has returned?

When the business is exhausted and the waves keep crashing, how can one be optimistic? Everyone has times when they fall into a state of stagnation.

However, if you run out of fuel, you have to refill it and then get up to fly again, you can't just stay on the parking lot forever. I call this the bottom-draining formula, originating from the image of a water tank that keeps going on and on without waves. If you want to create a breakthrough, you have to drain the water from the bottom once to create a whirlpool. That means you have to have a breakthrough solution to change. Vietravel is mentioned as a leading enterprise in the industry, but if it no longer has the power to spread, it will still be left behind and put in storage.

In 2006, I pioneered the creation of the series booking system, inspiring the entire tourism industry. So, in the next 10 years, what will Vietravel do? Who will it be in such a rapidly changing society? What is my role? I have to find a goal, which must be big enough, far enough, high enough for me to strive for, but of course not unrealistic. I have to find a mission, put it on my body to find my role.

And how do you answer those questions? Have you found your mission? What will Vietravel do in this rapidly changing society?

About 2-3 weeks ago, I read an article with a very good idea: After 38 years of Vietnam's renovation, we have not had a single enterprise or corporation that is large enough to be of world-class stature, so that the world has to use our products regularly. Meanwhile, with 30 years of opening up, Japan has had Toyota, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Honda... Korea in 30 years also has many large corporations that any Vietnamese person can name. China in 30 years is even more "terrifying". They have created extremely large corporations and risen to become the world's number 2 economy. Their products are exported all over the world.

Recently, we have VinFast stepping out into the world, which is still new. The rest, the majority of other enterprises "reach the world" in a trendy, isolated way, without investment and without making a real name in the international arena. That shows that Vietnamese enterprises are still scattered in nature, not yet gathered into a large group. The aspiration is there but the actions are not really worthy. Without specific steps, becoming a global enterprise will only be a fantasy dream for Vietnamese enterprises.

Back to our story. It is forecasted that 85% of tourists will travel by plane and the Asia-Pacific region will be the global focus of tourism and aviation. If Vietravel wants to become a continental travel agency, what must we do? What should our path be like?

At present, Vietnam's population has reached over 100 million people but there are only 4 airlines, with a total of 200 planes. Meanwhile, only one Chinese travel company owns an airline with 117 planes. Many large travel corporations in the world also have their own airlines to access the market as quickly as possible.

Previously, Vietravel had to charter planes to do that. For example, we “attacked” directly to Phuket (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia), Fukushima (Japan), Jeju (Korea), Taiwan… In a year, we flew hundreds of charter flights like that. But chartering is sometimes available, sometimes not, there are not always planes available. And if we depend on it, how can we proactively approach the market? How can we standardize the service system according to the message we give? This requires us to calculate and arrange to create new added value.

I would like to emphasize that Vietravel did not establish a commercial airline, but we established a tourism airline, aiming to create a complete journey to experience local culture. When building such a plan, Vietravel Airlines is an indispensable piece. Until now, I still think that Vietravel's move was the right one. It was just unfortunate to encounter 2 years of the pandemic. Vietravel Airlines had to try "terribly" to maintain until today. We are very excited that Vietravel's seat occupancy rate always reaches 90%. The night charter flights abroad are also very productive. That is a great encouragement. These things help our tourism activities expand, turning Vietravel from a Vietnamese travel agency into a truly Asian travel agency. Wherever Vietravel Airlines flies, everyone knows Vietravel.

Vietravel Airlines' seat occupancy rate always reaches 90%.

It sounds like you are "winning without fighting" in your goal of making Vietravel an international tourism corporation?

Vietravel is just a travel agency but its business scope is greatly influenced by foreign countries. In addition to the domestic market, we also take Vietnamese people abroad and welcome foreign visitors to Vietnam. The market is very large and naturally forces you to step out into the world.

Although going out to sea in a unique way, each individual officer and employee of the company has grown up, changed their thinking, and built a new generation. I am confident that Vietravel will have a respected name in the history of Vietnamese travel agencies. How to contribute, inspire, and spread... That is both romantic and the value that I bring to life, making life better. Of course, if I did not work in aviation, Vietravel would still be "living well" by now, but the value that I bring to life will be much more meaningful than just "living well".