Hanoi is cheaper than Goa

On the businesstoday website on December 20, author Saurabh Sharma published an article titled Hanoi/Bali is cheaper than Goa - about Indian tourism, in which he gave the opinion of a fund manager in this country named Viraj Mehta explaining the current trend of tourists going to Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia instead of visiting Goa, a state located in the Konkan coastal region in Western India.

Goa, India has many beautiful and pristine beaches. (Source: wordpress)

Famous for its beautiful, pristine beaches, Goa (India) is considered to have the most developed tourism sector in India. With fertile lands, fine white sand, attractive cuisine and rich cultural identity... Most visitors here love the simplicity and rusticity of these beaches.

However, according to the fund manager, Vietnam, a coastal country in Southeast Asia, has emerged as one of the top tourist destinations in recent times, with more and more Indian tourists choosing the country over Goa - famous for its pristine beaches and nightlife.

Indian tourists love to visit Vietnam. (Source: Saigongiaiphongnews)

A “New Thailand”?

Mr Mehta said India is losing tourists to Southeast Asian countries due to rising real estate prices pushing up hotel prices. Vietnam is becoming the new Thailand. “Regular tours are affordable due to direct flights and value for money,” he said. “We are losing out to Southeast Asian countries due to high real estate prices leading to high hotel prices. Going to Bali or Hanoi is cheaper than Goa… Strange! What is the solution?”

The fund manager’s post sparked a debate. Saurabh Parmar, a businessman who said he has lived in Vietnam for two years, said: “This is nothing new, travelling in India has always been more expensive.”

In May this year, Vietnam+ - an online newspaper in Vietnam reported that the number of searches for accommodation in Vietnam increased rapidly, ranking 11th in the world. The largest search sources for tourism in Vietnam include the US, Japan, Australia, Singapore, India, Thailand, France, Germany, the UK and South Korea.

In July, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said that the country welcomed nearly 5.6 million international visitors in the first half of 2023, accounting for 66% of the number recorded in 2019 before the Covid-19 outbreak.

Bali ranked second in Trip Advisor's 'Best Destinations' 2023 ranking. (Source: Business today)

Many competitive advantages

Abhishek Rai, an investor, said he visited Bali, Hanoi and Phuket three times this year and only Goa once. “Goa is 2.5 times more expensive, not as clean and most importantly, it feels uncomfortable after spending so much money on family. Compare this to Nha Trang, Vietnam, it is much better. Goa has lost its customers,” he wrote on the X platform.

Bali ranked second in Trip Advisor's Best Destinations 2023. Interestingly, Bali is the only Southeast Asian city in the top 10 destinations. Ubud, a town in Bali, ranked fourth in Travel + Leisure readers' 2023 list of the world's 25 most popular cities.

Talking about Goa, Monil Nitin Parikh, a businessman, said that Goa has become super expensive due to over-tourism. “It is not really cheap, even a week-long trip will cost more than 1 lakh per person even if you stay in basic Bed & Breakfast type hotels. Goa has become super expensive due to over-tourism,” he shared.

In November last year, international real estate consultancy Savills said Goa has become a favourite destination for second home buyers because of its high rental yields, which range from 4 to 10 per cent.

According to the consultant, the districts of Porvorim, Parra, Assagaon, Saligao, Anjuna and Siolim have witnessed a huge demand for independent houses and villas for rent in gated communities. Depending on the room size and number of villas, the cost per night ranges from Rs 15,000 to Rs 100,000 (approximately over $180 to $1,200).

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ha-noi-re-hon-goa-du-lich-an-do-dang-danh-roi-du-khach-vao-tay-cac-nuoc-dong-nam-a-255021.html