Vietnamese prefer outbound travel during Tet

Illustrative photo.

The Tet New Year holidays also cover many international tour routes for Vietnamese people wanting to visit new foreign destinations. After two long years of the Covid-19 pandemic these routes are once again becoming popular.

Recovery of outbound tours

When asked about the situation of booking tours for the Lunar New Year, Ms. Đoàn Thanh Trà, director of the Marketing and Communication Department of Saigontourist, said that this year the company plans to serve about 40,000 visitors nationwide, and currently, the number of visitors has reached about 60%. According to Ms. Trà, this year's Tet has recorded a prominent trend of customers looking for new and interesting experiences in foreign travel.

Vietnamese tourists are showing a lot of interest in foreign destination travel during the coming Tet holiday season and a number of travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City are gearing up to serve more customers. Vietravel data shows that from mid-November Vietnamese tourists started booking more tours for the coming Tet season. Instead of travelling within the country like many did during their Tet holiday in 2022, this year the Tet tours are covering many exciting destinations in many countries around the world.

This year, Vietravel is expected to serve 190,000 visitors during the Tet season. According to Vietravel assessment, Northeast Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea are easing their entry regulations, which has made it more convenient for Vietnamese travelers. Thailand and Taiwan are also popular destinations for Vietnamese travelers because of many policies to attract tourists.

Ms. Nguyễn Nguyệt Vân Khanh, Director of Marketing Department at Vietravel, said that Taiwan has reopened the Quan Hong E-visa policy to promote more friendly tourism. With Quan Hong E-visa, Vietnamese citizens will be exempt from submitting employment and financial proof when participating in a tour of Taiwan in groups of more than five persons by designated travel agencies. The benefits of Quan Hong E-visa are a simple preparation profile, no cumbersome paperwork, convenient and fast procedures, and no interviews or visa application fees.

Vietnamese tourists usually pay much attention to outbound tours during the long Tet holidays. But according to a report on foreign tourism trends of Vietnamese people in 2022 released by the market research and tourism data analysis company Outbox at the end of November, these tours started to recover since the summer months. Accordingly, nearly 70% of surveyed respondents consider this a hobby and regular activity. The implementation of vacation trips abroad after the Covid-19 pandemic is a way to resume their travel hobby. About 57% of Vietnamese outbound visitors said they feel the need to travel after being confined by social distancing regulations for far too long.

Another reason other than a quick recovery post-pandemic is that the spending habit of Vietnamese when traveling abroad has also increased. Outbox survey shows that up to 65% of Vietnamese outbound travelers spent more on overseas trips in 2022, compared to a similar trip before the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, although the price of foreign tours this year has seen a high increase compared to the years before the pandemic, it is still being favored by many Vietnamese tourists.

Unique itineraries

Many travelers from Vietnam are also choosing high end luxury tours during this Tet season. Currently, the number of tourists choosing luxury tours for long durations and to experience new destinations is increasing. TST tourist company said that finding a tour with many interesting features has become a priority. Vietnamese travelers now feel the need to experience the culture, history, and community life of other countries.

This is the reason why most of the travel businesses this year are launching new and unique tours. Tours are being designed so that visitors will not be bored, and the entire tour is taken care of from meals to destination selection. Tourists want great experience, comfort, and take back feelings of enjoyment and value of the entire trip. Many businesses, such as TST tourist company, are implementing long-term Tet tours of four days or more, standard service packages, and 4-star stay.

Outbound tourism is heating up again, and so is domestic tourism this year. According to a survey, the number of visitors is quite large, including those going to the Northwest and Northeast routes such as Dien Bien Phu, Lai Chau, Son La, Lao Cai, Sapa, Quang Ninh, and Yen Tu, because this is the time when the climate is cool. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the New Year with many cultural festivals, and also see flowers blooming at the same time. Northern tours in general include routes connecting Hanoi with neighboring provinces.

Along with all these interesting tours, there are traditional destinations in the Central region and the Southern region such as Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Buon Ma Thuot, Gia Lai, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Phu Quoc, Vung Tau, and Ho Tram, which all promise visitors an exciting experience. The Western New Year tours in particular are exciting in this period before Tet as visitor can go shopping for Tet, in which the flower basket of Dong Thap and Tien Giang are places of popular choice for many tourists.

In addition to discovering new destinations, there are many tourists who prefer to travel independently. According to a survey, up to 80% of Vietnamese tourists prefer to go on their own on domestic tours. In order to avoid crowded services in the peak season, visitors choose the service early, especially for a reputable place. The tourism industry this year is forecast to have a booming Tet season, which is said to be stronger than last year.

Thanh Dung