A family of tourists explores and discovers Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: Huu Hanh
In addition, the authorities are also implementing comprehensive solutions to address bottlenecks in shopping tourism .
Tourists are hesitant to spend money.
Walking around Ben Thanh Market (Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) on a weekend in May, the atmosphere is no longer as bustling as in previous years, especially with a significant decrease in tourist demand.
Nguyen Dien Huan, a small business owner specializing in selling souvenirs to tourists at the market, said that compared to the stable years before the pandemic, the purchasing power of tourists is estimated to have decreased by 30-40%, especially foreign tourists who are no longer as willing to spend money as before. While tourists from Southeast Asia are buying more, the value per order is quite low, and they only prioritize buying inexpensive goods.
"The decrease in customers has led to a large amount of unsold inventory, forcing us to limit imports. This affects the entire production chain and impacts our employees," Mr. Huan assessed.
Speaking to Tuoi Tre newspaper , a representative of Ben Thanh Market confirmed that after the peak Tet holiday season, the number of visitors to the market has tended to decrease significantly, leading to a somewhat quieter business activity, especially in non-essential areas such as souvenirs, fabrics, and fashion items.
According to Mr. Tran The Dung, General Director of Vietluxtour Travel Joint Stock Company, although we often liken tourists to a "mobile wallet" of the local economy, these wallets have not yet "opened their purses" significantly.
Most travel companies are hesitant to include shopping destinations in their tour programs because there are no shopping centers that meet standards and have established a reputable brand for customers. Meanwhile, neighboring countries organize very well-structured shopping tours, and Vietnamese people shop extensively abroad.
"We need large shopping centers like outlets, night markets, and shopping streets that meet the required standards. Ho Chi Minh City has the conditions to implement this, but currently lacks any outlets or shopping centers of sufficient scale. Simultaneously, there needs to be linkage between travel agencies, retailers, manufacturers, and local communities to create products with regional characteristics," Mr. Dung suggested.
Solutions are needed to stimulate demand and encourage tourists to spend money.
At a recent seminar, Ms. Le Hong Thuy Tien, General Director of the Inter Pacific Group (IPPG), stated that to stimulate consumer spending, more solutions are needed to encourage people and tourists to spend money.
According to Ms. Thuy Tien, data released by the General Statistics Office on January 6, 2025, shows that in 2024, international tourists spent approximately US$12.19 billion in Vietnam, while Vietnamese people spent approximately US$12.57 billion abroad. Currently, tourists in Vietnam are willing to spend generously on essential services such as accommodation, transportation, and sightseeing, but are extremely frugal when it comes to shopping. The problem is that we haven't given them a legitimate reason to spend.
purse.
"We need to upgrade the VAT refund system for tourists; develop a tax-free and outlet system that truly reflects its nature; re-plan retail locations in key tourist destinations; and research controlled tax-free shopping in economic zones. Each percentage point of shopping expenses retained by tourists and residents would be equivalent to billions of USD flowing directly into the economic circulation," Ms. Tien proposed.
Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, acknowledged that in order to retain tourists, especially foreign visitors, the city is considering building a data system to manage and verify their shopping history.
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"We can connect all this data into a single city-wide system. Once the data streams are interconnected, the system will automatically record and accumulate reward points for tourists based on their total spending in Vietnam. From the accumulated points on the common system, we can launch promotions to attract tourists and contribute to stimulating consumer spending," Mr. Phuong said.
In addition, the industry and trade sector also plans to collaborate with supermarkets to design dedicated sections for high-quality products from the city. This will help quality products gain more market share, giving residents and tourists more choices to trust and increase spending.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tp-hcm-ban-cach-giup-khach-quoc-te-mo-hau-bao-20260524002424299.htm
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