Exploiting the 'gold mine' of music tourism

The news that Korean star G-Dragon, a global creative music icon, will be performing two consecutive nights in Vietnam has caused social media to explode. According to experts, Vietnam has great potential for music tourism.

Tourism benefits greatly from the "idol-following" wave

Official ticket prices for G-Dragon's shows range from 1.2 to 8 million VND, with VVIP tickets being the most sought after because they allow fans to attend the rehearsal and say goodbye to the artist after the show.

Vietnam is increasingly asserting its ability to organize international-class music concerts.

Photo: Organizing Committee

This is the first time G-Dragon has held a two-night concert in Vietnam, marking a new milestone after 7 years of absence from the stage. Choosing Hanoi instead of familiar destinations in Asia such as Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong shows that Vietnam is becoming an attractive destination for global stars.

Previously, in 2023, the BlackPink group created an explosive phenomenon when they held two Born Pink World Tour shows at My Dinh Stadium. Both nights were "sold out" in just a few hours, causing a sudden increase in international visitors to Hanoi, with hotels around the stadium being full for weeks. Not only Vietnamese fans, thousands of fans from Korea, Thailand, China and the Philippines also flew to Vietnam to "follow their idols", causing international media to call Hanoi "Southeast Asia's K-pop hotspot".

All 8 concerts of Anh trai van ngan cong gai were always full, with an average of more than 50,000 spectators per night, according to the organizers.

Photo: Organizing Committee

In addition to K-pop, many other international artists have also chosen Vietnam as their performance venue, such as Westlife bringing The Wild Dreams tour to Ho Chi Minh City, "sold out" after only 4 days of opening; Charlie Puth performed at the 8Wonder Super Music Festival in Nha Trang and caused a storm online with the compliment "VN has the most passionate fans!"; Maroon 5 participated in an international music festival with Vietnamese artists, attracting tens of thousands of spectators in Phu Quoc; Katy Perry performed at the VinFuture 2023 awards ceremony in Hanoi, showing off her top-notch live vocals in front of millions of online views. The list continues with Kenny G, Samantha Fox, Scorpions, Boney M., Modern Talking...

In classical music, the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and conductor Sir Antonio Pappano performed at the Hanoi Opera House on the nights of October 10-11, which was considered a memorable milestone, affirming the ability to organize world-class music events.

The continuous appearance of international shows also reflects the rapid improvement of Vietnam's infrastructure and event management capacity. Stadiums such as My Dinh, Thong Nhat, Phu Tho or the 8Wonder complex in Ocean City (Hanoi) and VinWonders Nha Trang have all been upgraded to meet the requirements of stage, sound, lighting, and security according to international standards.

Not only audiences, international media are also paying attention to Vietnam. Sites such as Rolling Stone Asia, Billboard, Koreaboo, CNN Travel continuously publish news and images of artists' concerts in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Each major event becomes a free media campaign, helping to position Vietnam as a dynamic and safe cultural destination.

At present, a series of Korean entertainment channels are reporting on "G-Dragon's arrival in Vietnam", while Japanese, Thai, and Filipino fan communities are planning to fly to Hanoi to "hang out for two consecutive nights". Not only turning Vietnam into the focus of international media, the appearance of big artists also creates a strong boost for the domestic performance industry.

Upgrading transport infrastructure, accommodation and domestic connectivity will be key to making Vietnam a convenient destination for music tourists. At the same time, promoting cooperation between Vietnamese and international artists, and organizing annual music festivals, will help form a vibrant music tourism ecosystem…

Dr. Daisy Kanagasapapathy, RMIT University Vietnam

Stimulating spending, the tourism ecosystem benefits

According to statistics from online ticketing platforms such as Ticketbox and VinWonders, the number of people buying concert tickets in Vietnam will increase by an average of 40% per year in the period 2022-2025, of which more than 70% are audiences aged 18-35. Most are willing to spend from 1-5 million VND for a show. This level of spending far exceeds the price of cinema tickets or regular festivals.

"It's like traveling, going to a fashion show or a cultural experience that I can tell or share on social networks," Tran Khanh Linh (23 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) shared after attending Maroon 5's concert in Phu Quoc.

Phu Quoc is chosen by many famous artists for tourism.

Photo: Le Nam

What’s more, a big concert doesn’t just generate ticket sales, it also generates a whole range of industries: tourism, hotels, food, transportation, fashion, consumer goods, souvenirs, and social media content. Experts call it the “concert economy.” Every major music event becomes a “spending hub” as tens of thousands of spectators flock to the venue.

For example, with BlackPink's two concert nights in Hanoi in 2023, revenue from the accommodation and food industry increased by nearly 30%. Hotels around the My Dinh area were fully booked for many days. Airline tickets, taxis, restaurants, etc. all increased sharply. A series of brands took advantage of the opportunity to launch concert-related products such as drinks, souvenirs, T-shirts, and accessories with the group's logo.

Dr Daisy Kanagasapapathy, Deputy Head of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at RMIT University Vietnam, commented: The impact of music does not stop at entertainment but also has a profound impact on mental health and travel behavior. It is that emotional power that is paving the way for music tourism, an area in which Vietnam has great potential to develop.

"The performances of G-Dragon or BlackPink in Hanoi have captivated audiences. The power of music in bringing joy, creating emotional connections and transforming experiences has become clear, laying the foundation for growing music tourism," the expert commented, adding: "Asian countries have proven the success of music tourism. Coldplay and Taylor Swift have helped Singapore attract tens of thousands of international visitors, bringing millions of dollars to the economy. Vietnam, with its beautiful landscape and hospitality, can absolutely do the same."

According to the Vietnam Entertainment Consumer Trend 2025 report, 54% of young Vietnamese people are willing to spend on music events or festivals at least twice a year; 30% of them combine travel or vacation. This explains why locations like Phu Quoc, Nha Trang or Da Nang have become new choices for international shows because they have both tourism infrastructure and create a "full package experience" with music, relaxation and entertainment.

Along with that, emotional spending behavior helps to form new business models. From services of hiring stylists (coordinating outfits) for concerts, tours combined with watching shows, to designing lightsticks (glow sticks) and all kinds of cosplay costumes...

"To take advantage of the concert effect and develop sustainable music tourism, there needs to be close cooperation between tourism management agencies, event organizers and local businesses to create comprehensive tourism packages that combine concert tickets with cultural, culinary and scenic experiences. That helps extend the length of stay and increase tourism spending," Dr. Kanagasapapathy recommended.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khai-pha-mo-vang-du-lich-am-nhac-185251014210648562.htm