Western tourists shopping at Ben Thanh market - Photo: NB
However, according to travel companies, if Vietnam tourism develops more services, especially night-time economic products, extending the length of stay for tourists..., tourists' spending will increase even more.
Spend 80 - 140 USD/day
Ms. Tran Phuong Linh, Marketing - Information Technology Director (BenThanh Tourist), said that since the beginning of the year, the international tourism market of this enterprise has had remarkable growth. It is estimated that the number of visitors and revenue from international tourism (inbound) of the company increased by more than 50% compared to the same period in 2023.
The company's traditional and new markets both have positive growth.
Among them, Asian markets, especially India and Taiwan, have developed the best, followed by the European market. Notably, the average daily spending of tourists can fluctuate between 80 and 140 USD/day, much higher than before.
Types of tourism that are popular with tourists include cross-Vietnam tours, nature exploration, resort tours, local cultural experience tours, MICE tourism, and tourism combined with education and training.
"In Ho Chi Minh City, international tourists tend to choose cultural discovery tours, visit historical sites, enjoy art and culture and explore local cuisine, especially traditional dishes and Vietnamese coffee culture," said Ms. Linh.
At Ben Thanh Market (District 1), a must-see destination for many Western tourists, vendors have felt the busyness during the peak season. According to the Ben Thanh Market management board, in addition to buying fruits and nuts to eat on the spot, many tourists buy tea and coffee as gifts. The purchasing power of international visitors accounts for about 60% of the revenue at this market.
Tourist spending is also reflected in the VAT (value added tax) refunds for tourists coming to Vietnam. Information from the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department shows that in May 2024 alone, foreign visitors purchased nearly VND120 billion worth of goods to bring with them when exiting through Ho Chi Minh City's border gates. Corresponding to the refunded tax of more than VND8 billion.
In the first 5 months of 2024, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has refunded VAT to more than 7,200 foreigners carrying goods when leaving the country, with goods worth over VND 460 billion, corresponding to VAT refunds of over VND 40 billion.
"Among the group of tourists who are refunded shopping tax, the ones who spend the most when traveling to Vietnam are not from European or American countries but from Indian tourists. This group of tourists shop quite extensively and has only appeared this year," said a representative of the City Customs Department.
Food expenses account for up to 40%
According to businesses, the positive changes in the international tourism market come from many different causes. Some reasons include the world economy gradually recovering and stabilizing after the pandemic, and direct flights from other countries to Vietnam becoming more diverse, making it more convenient for tourists to travel and save money.
Vietnam's application of a new visa policy also creates attractiveness and significantly increases competitiveness for Vietnam.
Analyzing the spending structure of tourists, the Payoo payment platform recorded that in the first half of this year, the rate of customers using international cards issued abroad via the Payoo payment platform increased 2.6 times in quantity and 2.5 times in value compared to the same period last year, mainly focusing on the following areas: dining and shopping.
Specifically, the spending proportion of international cards issued abroad for food services is about 40%, for fashion and cosmetics 14%, for jewelry and watches approximately 12%, for supermarkets and convenience stores more than 10%.
"The spending trend of international customers since the beginning of the year shows that spending has gradually increased in supermarkets, convenience stores, jewelry and watches, while decreasing in fashion, cosmetics and technology products," said a Payoo representative.
Tourist spending is one of the key indicators to measure the impact of tourism on the economy. However, changes in current tourist spending patterns also reflect travel trends.
Mr. Vo Viet Hoa, director of international tourism at Saigontourist Travel, said that although the number of tourists has increased, the market structure has changed and the way of traveling has also changed, so travel companies are still suffering from "losses of revenue".
"They rarely buy full package tours, but mostly book individual parts, and most of them travel independently. Customers also prefer to experience high-end services rather than shopping," Mr. Hoa shared.
Travel companies also said that spending on food services accounts for the majority of international tourists' budgets, which is not surprising because Vietnamese cuisine is quite famous. However, this also shows that Vietnam tourism is lacking products for tourists to spend more on, such as fashion shopping, souvenirs, etc.
International visitors to Vietnam in 2024 will reach 19 million?
According to Mr. Michael Kokalari - Director of macroeconomic analysis and market research at VinaCapital, in the first 5 months of 2024, the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam increased by more than 300% over the same period, reaching 75% of the level before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The China Tourism Academy expects Chinese outbound tourists to exceed 80% of pre-COVID-19 levels this year, so the expert expects the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam to recover from 30% pre-COVID-19 levels last year to 85% this year.
This partial recovery is the basis for the fund's forecast that total tourist arrivals to Vietnam will increase from 70% pre-COVID-19 levels last year to about 105% pre-COVID-19 levels this year, equivalent to 19 million arrivals.
China and Japan are the two major countries in the world where outbound tourism has yet to recover to pre-COVID-19 levels, with China leading the world in outbound travel spending before the pandemic.
With international tourist arrivals continuing to recover, tourism is expected to contribute more than 1 percentage point to Vietnam's GDP growth in 2024, according to economists.
Attractive thanks to high-end product lines
Mr. Le Truong Hien Hoa, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said that from 2023 until now, the city's tourism revenue has always reached a record high thanks to the development of night-time products as well as the launch of more high-end product lines.
"It is estimated that tourists' spending at night in Ho Chi Minh City accounts for up to 70% of total spending when coming to the city. The city also aims to build unique and different products and tours to attract domestic and international tourists in the coming time," said Mr. Hoa.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khach-quoc-te-chi-nhieu-hon-o-viet-nam-20240628081722396.htm
Comment (0)