Vietnamese youth are pursuing a diverse travel trend, from exploring domestic culture to international experiences with modern amenities and reasonable costs. Although foreign travel is increasingly attracting young people, Vietnam's tourism industry still has great opportunities to compete if it improves infrastructure, enhances service quality and learns from international sustainable development models to attract and retain young tourists.
From domestic tourism to foreign attraction
In the post-COVID-19 pandemic context, the domestic tourism industry has made impressive recovery steps.
According to the General Statistics Office, in just 8 months of 2024, Vietnam welcomed nearly 114 million international visitors, with the two largest markets being South Korea and China, accounting for 26% and 21% respectively. Of which, Ho Chi Minh City alone is estimated to welcome more than 27.35 million domestic visitors in the first 9 months of 2024, contributing to the total tourism revenue of Ho Chi Minh City reaching more than 140,398 billion VND.
One of the key factors driving the boom in domestic tourism is the diversification of tourism types. Destinations such as Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi attract tourists not only because of their rich history and culture but also because of unique experiences such as visiting craft villages, attending festivals and taking short-term classes in arts and crafts.
In addition, adventure travel in places like Sapa, Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay has also become an indispensable part of young people's journeys, meeting their need to explore and challenge themselves.
While domestic tourism attracts young people because of its proximity and reasonable cost, foreign tourism brings completely new experiences with modernity and cultural diversity. According to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Singapore is still attractive to Vietnamese tourists and the number of Vietnamese tourists to Singapore is still growing steadily every year.
Singapore is famous for its international cultural events, vibrant nightlife and modern shopping areas, making it an ideal destination for young people who love dynamism and modernity. According to STB, Singapore is in the top 3 Asian cities with the most attractive nightlife experiences, attracting a large number of tourists thanks to famous clubs such as Zouk and Marquee along with creative underground parties.
In addition, Japan and South Korea are also top destinations chosen by young people. Japan not only impresses with the combination of tradition and modernity but also with the richness of cultural activities such as festivals and advanced technology centers. South Korea, with the Hallyu wave, attracts young tourists thanks to its unique music, cinema and fashion.
In addition, the popularity of travel apps such as Klook, Traveloka and Agoda has brought many outstanding utilities, changing the way young people travel today. These apps not only help simplify the process of booking tickets, tours and travel services but also bring many attractive features and promotions, even 0-dong tours when exploring the local area. This not only helps save costs but also motivates young people to plan long trips, including foreign destinations.
Challenges and opportunities for Vietnam tourism
A report from the General Statistics Office shows that although the number of international visitors to Vietnam in the first 8 months of 2024 reached nearly 114 million, there are still many factors that need to be improved to maintain and enhance the attractiveness to tourists, especially in the young tourist segment.
This is one of the biggest challenges facing the Vietnamese tourism industry. To compete with foreign destinations, Appotapa's 2024 Tourism Market Trends Research and Analysis report indicates that Vietnam needs to focus on improving the quality of tourism services to retain tourists, especially young people, to stay longer and spend more.
In particular, improving tourism infrastructure is an urgent requirement. In fact, issues related to traffic, infrastructure at tourist destinations and service quality have not yet met the requirements of many tourists, especially when compared with countries in the region. For example, according to a report by the General Department of Tourism, while Ho Chi Minh City welcomed more than 27.35 million domestic visitors in the first 9 months of 2024, there are still many complaints about traffic jams, environmental pollution and uneven services.
In addition, Vietnam also needs to learn from developed countries in the region about sustainable tourism development, combining cultural preservation with economic development. Typically, Klook's initiatives in promoting sustainable tourism and supporting local communities have helped Klook contribute 72 billion USD to the Asia-Pacific tourism economy in 2023, while creating more than 219,000 jobs.
This proves that the power of combining tourism development with cultural preservation and local community development is essential. Accordingly, Vietnam can take advantage of this potential by developing sustainable tourism products, encouraging tourists to participate in environmental protection activities and respecting local culture. In this way, Vietnam can not only attract international tourists but also retain young people in the country, helping them to explore and love their homeland more.
At the same time, promoting the country’s image creatively and effectively is also an indispensable factor. Promotional campaigns need to focus on introducing the unique and different experiences that Vietnam can offer, from its rich cultural heritage to its majestic natural landscapes. At the same time, these campaigns also need to emphasize sustainable development and cultural preservation, in order to attract tourists who are interested in these values.
In general, the current youth travel trends are changing rapidly, with priority given to personalized, modern and culturally diverse experiences. With its constant efforts, Vietnam's tourism industry is gradually asserting its position on the world tourism map. However, to compete and attract young people, Vietnam needs to change to a newer way of doing tourism. Only then can Vietnam catch up with the trend and become an attractive destination not only for international tourists but also for young people in the country.
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