Is Vietnam ready to welcome high-spending tourists?

Ha Long Bay – a destination for high-end tourists visiting Vietnam – Photo: NAM TRAN

Most recently, at the end of August 2024, an Indian pharmaceutical billionaire chose Hanoi , Ha Long (Quang Ninh), and Ninh Binh as destinations for a vacation for his 4,500 employees. This demonstrates that Vietnam is attractive enough to welcome this discerning group of tourists.

Coming to Vietnam to satisfy one's ego.

According to Ms. Thuy Nguyen, General Manager of Silk Path Hanoi Hotel, high-end guests come to Vietnam to satisfy their egos. They are willing to pay extra for services, but we must connect with their emotions. Their ego is essentially their personal preferences.

To attract this type of customer, the first thing to do is understand them. You can't use conventional tourism products to welcome them; everything must be custom-designed. Each customer has unique needs and requirements… Sometimes, things that seem luxurious and glamorous to us may not be so for them. From cuisine and service to surrounding amenities, everything must satisfy their desires and preferences.

"Vietnam is eager to attract this type of tourist and is adapting. Vietnamese people are intelligent, creative, and capable of welcoming high-end tourists," Ms. Thuy shared.

Cuisine is one of the deciding factors for high-spending tourists when choosing a destination – Photo: NAM TRAN

A report by Oxford Economics indicates that, on average, tourists visiting Southeast Asia are willing to spend an additional $250 per person per day to experience high-end culinary destinations .

According to Liam Cordingley, chief economist and economic consultant for Asia at Oxford Economics, 75% of high-income travelers are particularly interested in culinary experiences. This is also a criterion they consider when choosing a destination.

“A premium dining experience includes: high-quality food products, a diverse menu featuring many unique and delicious dishes prepared by renowned chefs, and a wide selection of beverages ranging from affordable to high-end. These services need to be personalized and professional,” Liam shared.

Vietnam possesses surreal landscapes, one of its strengths in attracting international tourists – Photo: NAM TRAN

We need attractive tourism products.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Tran Trung Hieu – Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism – said that high-end tourists are the target audience for the capital's tourism industry by leveraging its strengths as a major cultural center of the country and diversifying tourism products.

Hanoi has three UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritage sites representing humanity, and possesses nearly 10,000 tangible and intangible cultural heritage items, including traditional craft villages.

Therefore, cultural tourism products are both a strength and a distinctive feature that attracts tourists to Hanoi. In addition to cultural attractions and experiences, MICE tourism, ecotourism, and resort tourism in Hanoi are meeting the needs of this type of tourist.

In the coming period, Hanoi will focus on attracting and developing high-end 4-5 star hotels; upgrading high-quality tourist destinations; training and developing skilled human resources with excellent service skills; and promoting digital transformation in tourism to boost the attraction of high-end international tourists.

The presidential suite costs 164 million VND per night on the 6-star Grand Pioneers cruise ship in Ha Long Bay – Photo: GRAND PIONEERS

Recognizing that luxury tourism is a highly promising market generating significant revenue for the country, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration has recently undertaken numerous promotional activities with the message that Vietnam is a high-class, quality destination.

According to Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, we have extremely valuable resources, from natural resources to cultural resources… This is the foundation for us to have extremely attractive and unique tourism products for tourists.

Luxury experiences sometimes stem from the simple things – Photo: P'APIU RESORT

Furthermore, Vietnam's tourism industry has received numerous accolades from international organizations, such as being recognized as a safe and attractive destination. Many billionaires and influential figures have chosen Vietnam as the venue for major events, confirming Vietnam's strong appeal to high-end tourists.

"We have all the necessary conditions to welcome this type of tourist, from the technical infrastructure of the industry such as accommodation facilities, entertainment areas, tours, tourist attractions, and supplementary services for this type of tourist, especially the professionalism in providing services to high-end tourists."

"Vietnam is fully prepared to welcome high-end tourists. However, the number of tourists we receive is still quite modest and not truly commensurate with the potential and strengths of Vietnamese tourism," Mr. Khanh commented.

To better understand the tastes of these discerning tourists, Tuoi Tre newspaper is organizing a seminar titled "What Products Are Suitable for High-End Tourists Visiting Vietnam?" on October 11th in Hanoi.

This is an opportunity for experts and managers from large companies and corporations in the tourism sector to analyze and evaluate the quality of Vietnam's tourism compared to other countries, the high-end tourist market in Vietnam, and share what they have done and are doing to attract tourists.

Tuoitre.vn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/viet-nam-da-san-ready-to-welcome-high-spending-guests-20241010182608542.htm#content-1