Vietnam in the list of Top 20 most searched destinations in the world on Google

On August 14, Cambodia's ThmeyThmey online newspaper published an article stating that Vietnam is becoming a favorite tourist destination in the region with rapid development, attracting participation from many fields.

Vietnam is among the Top 20 most searched destinations in the world on Google. Illustrative photo of Ha Long Bay. (Source: Khmer Times)

With the title “Vietnam is the new tourist destination of Southeast Asia”, the leading online newspaper in Cambodia today cited Google Destination Insights analysis data saying that Vietnam was the 7th most searched destination in the period from March to June this year and was the only country in Southeast Asia to make it into the Top 20 most searched destinations in the world.

Thun Senghong, the author of the article, affirmed that the strength of Vietnam tourism lies in its diverse landscape, stretching from coastal areas, plains, mountains to bustling cities with all kinds of services. The attractiveness of Vietnam tourism in recent times is reflected in the number of international tourists to this Southeast Asian country.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, in the first 6 months of this year, Vietnam welcomed more than 5.5 million international visitors, more than the total number of international visitors for the whole year of 2022. Vietnam's tourism industry aims to welcome 8 million visitors in 2023, but the number is forecast to reach 10 million.

The article quoted Rustic Hospitality Group Director Bobby Nguyen as saying that most foreign tourists to Vietnam are from South Korea, China and India.

Vietnam tourism is known mainly through information shared on social networks and the influence of large tourism corporations, helping to enhance Vietnam's reputation in the international arena. According to Mr. Bobby Nguyen, the use of social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, advertising features on Google and other media channels are means to quickly introduce Vietnam's image to the world.

ThmeyThmey newspaper quoted the German news agency DW News as saying that the strength of Vietnam's tourism industry also stems from the policy of relaxing visa extension. From August 15, 2023, the new visa policy allows citizens of some countries to enter Vietnam with a visa exemption from 15 days to 45 days and to extend the electronic visa (e-visa) from 30 days to 90 days, valid for multiple entries. Tourists from some countries are excited about the visa extension

Gary Bowerman, an expert at a travel analysis company based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said that changes to Vietnam's visa policy will boost the tourism industry. The number of international visitors to Vietnam has been increasing since June this year. According to him, tourists coming to Vietnam are not just looking for a vacation. For young tourists, this is a vacation trip that opens up opportunities for business development.

Max Lambert, owner of Fuse Hostels & Travel, a travel company based in Hoi An (Quang Nam), expressed his hope for a boost from changes in Vietnam’s visa policy. Over the past three months, the company has seen a significant increase in the number of international guests staying at its hotels. The number of bookings has returned to the same level as in 2019.

The article commented that, despite clear positive signals, the number of international visitors to Vietnam has not yet reached pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. In 2019, Vietnam welcomed nearly 19 million international visitors.

According to Mr. Lambert, Vietnam still has a long way to go if it wants to compete with Thailand for tourists. In fact, Thailand is still the largest tourist destination in the region with a steady increase in international visitors. He emphasized that before the COVID-19 outbreak,

Vietnam is not considered a competitor of Thailand. However, with the current development, Vietnam will certainly be a new tourist destination in Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bobby Nguyen said that Vietnam needs to improve in some areas to develop its potential. Tourism is an interconnected economic sector, so coordination between ministries and sectors must be close. Infrastructure including highways, railways and roads still do not meet the requirements of tourism development.

In addition, this tourism expert believes that Vietnam needs to retrain and retrain staff working in this field to meet the quality of service provided according to tourists' needs.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-vao-danh-sach-top-20-diem-den-duoc-tim-kiem-nhieu-nhat-the-gioi-tren-google-238361.html