Tourist emotions determine product quality

In the first 9 months of 2024, Vietnam welcomed 12.7 million international visitors, a sharp increase of 43% over the same period last year. But how many of them are high-end tourists, from which markets, has their spending increased compared to before Covid-19 (2019), how to identify and attract this high-paying tourist stream? These were the issues raised at the workshop "What products for high-end tourists to Vietnam" organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper on the afternoon of October 11.

In fact, travel companies are launching many unique and different products to attract wealthy tourists. Among them, the bird watching tour of Wildtour is a typical example showing that customers are willing to spend thousands of dollars for this experience.

The company's director, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Bao, said that 45 million people in the US travel to see birds, spending about 40 billion USD/year (while the total revenue of Vietnam's tourism industry in 2023 is 27 billion USD); Europe has approximately 20 million people, spending about 1 billion USD per year. This number is also increasing rapidly in Asia, especially in Japan, China, Taiwan (China),...

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High-spending international visitors come to Vietnam to hunt for bird photos. Photo: Wildtour

If comparing potential (number of bird species), Vietnam ranks third in the region, 15th-16th in the world, but is behind countries like Thailand and Malaysia which have developed for 30-40 years, and Europe for 100 years, while the first companies to enter Vietnam to organize bird watching tours were in the 1990s, with almost no promotion.

Not to mention, due to the lack of professional tour guides, poor infrastructure in national parks, complicated procedures such as security and paperwork, businesses do not dare to organize tours (for fear of not being allowed in when they arrive), and it is also very difficult for visitors to access; there is no focus on nature conservation, especially bird hunting and trapping, so this type of tourism has not developed strongly and has not attracted a large number of tourists.

Another aspect is cuisine. At the workshop, artist Pham Anh Tuyet said that we have not properly assessed the importance of cuisine in tourism, while other countries have done very well, such as South Korea.

“When serving high-end customers, the most important factors are personalization, service standards and safe preparation so that when customers enjoy the food, they can enjoy it with peace of mind,” she said.

Regarding the culinary field, Mr. Liam Cordingly, chief economist of the Oxford Economics Research Organization, cited the organization's survey showing that potential tourists tend to choose destinations that offer "high-end culinary experiences" 2.5 times higher than normal destinations. Here, they are willing to pay an additional 250 USD/person/day.

According to Director of Wildtour Travel Company Nguyen Hoai Bao, high-end tourists are often those with high incomes; looking for unique experiences; requiring personalized services; interested in sustainability; willing to pay high prices for quality products.

They are often interested in specific types of tourism services, typically diving tourism, golf tourism, MICE tourism, cruise tourism; ... sometimes personalized types of tourism such as exploring wild nature, cave exploration...

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Indian tourists often choose Vietnam as a MICE tourism destination in recent years. Photo: Vina Phu Quoc

However, according to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky, Chairman of Vietravel Holding, a high-end tourism product, in essence, is ultimately what impression it leaves on customers: a memorable trip, an unforgettable deep memory, a surprise and richness in perception,... much more important than a 5-star or 6-star hotel.

“Tourists’ emotions determine whether the product is high-end or not,” Mr. Ky emphasized.

Need to identify high-end customers

Mr. Vu Quoc Tri, General Secretary of the Vietnam Tourism Association, cited 2019 data showing that the average spending of international visitors to Vietnam was more than 132 USD/day, lower than 180 USD in Thailand.

Vietnam's tourism development strategy sets a target of 77-80 billion USD in total industry revenue by 2025 if there is no Covid pandemic, contributing 12-14% of GDP. Mr. Tri said that to achieve this figure, it is necessary to increase the number and revenue from international visitors.

Ms. Ngo Thi Huong - Deputy General Director of Sales and Marketing of Vinpearl Joint Stock Company, noted that in order to attract high-end tourists, it is necessary to "tailor" products according to each customer group, encouraging customers to spend more.

Proposing to build products on mental health care, green tourism, sustainable tourism, Ms. Huong cited that with the green tourism model, golf is a product that Korean tourists are very interested in. They like golf courses in Vietnam, like the atmosphere, natural conditions, Vietnamese cuisine,... are willing to stay for a long time to experience and bring their families along.

According to Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong, the recovery in the number of international visitors to Vietnam in the recent past is of great significance. However, he noted that we should not overemphasize the quantity, but more important than the numbers and indexes is to improve the quality of visitors to Vietnam, such as visitors spending more, staying longer, and being in tune with traditional culture, promoting the development of other economic sectors.

Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, said that Vietnam is determined to be a quality tourist destination, and the tourism industry also prioritizes welcoming guests with high spending ability and high consumption.

To attract high-end tourists, the Director said that it is necessary to first conduct market research, identify and grasp the needs of high-end tourists; continue to improve tourism infrastructure, focus on unique, original, individual, personalized factors, sophistication in service methods, cultural experiences in harmony with nature and the environment.

In addition, it is necessary to perfect the service provision processes in a professional manner, ensuring quality, creating a complete experience for customers; promoting, focusing on positioning as a high-end tourist destination.

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