One of the ten key markets
Information from the National Tourism Administration shows that in recent years, India has become one of the 10 key markets for Vietnamese tourism with strong growth in the number of visitors.
In the past 5 years, the growth rate of Indian visitors to Vietnam has been quite high. In 2015, Vietnam welcomed 65,600 visitors, but in 2023, the number of Indian visitors choosing Vietnam as a destination reached more than 392,000. In the first 7 months of 2024 alone, the Vietnamese tourism industry welcomed 272,000 Indian visitors, ranking 8th out of 10 international visitor markets to Vietnam.
Sun World (Sun Group) General Director Thai Phuong Hoa said that in recent years, the number of Indian visitors to parks belonging to Sun World Group has tended to grow strongly. “If in 2019, the number of visitors only reached 50,000, in 2023 it increased 4 times and in 2024 it is expected to double that of 2023. Currently, Sun Group resorts in Phu Quoc and Da Nang are the top choices of many Indian customers to organize weddings,” Ms. Phuong Hoa shared.
Similarly, Vietnam Airlines General Director Le Hong Ha said that since opening direct flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Mumbai (India), Vietnam Airlines has transported more than 240,000 Indian passengers. “The seat utilization rate has always been close to 80% in 2024, which proves the growing travel demand of tourists and businessmen between the two countries,” Mr. Ha informed.
In order to create a bridge to exploit the world's most populous market more effectively, in May 2024, Vietnam Airlines, together with Vietravel, Vingroup, and Sun Group, opened the Vietnam Tourism Information Center in India.
Explaining the reason why Vietnam is becoming a destination for Indian tourists, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research Nguyen Anh Tuan stated that Indian tourists increasingly like to come to Vietnam because of the safe tourism environment, beautiful scenery, diverse and rich products, friendly people, attractive dishes... Besides, the distance between Vietnam and India is not too far, it only takes 4-5 hours for the flight to Vietnam and there are many more direct flights connecting the two countries, making it very convenient for travel.
Furthermore, Vietnam has competitive service prices, 10-15% cheaper than other countries in the region; this is a "plus point" in the choice of Indian tourists. "This is one of the reasons why many Indians, in addition to traveling, do not hesitate to spend money on 5-star hotels in coastal cities of Vietnam such as Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Phu Quoc to organize weddings..." - Mr. Tuan commented.
Build the right product
Although India is a “gold mine” for Vietnamese tourism, according to tourism experts, to exploit this market requires businesses to build suitable products.
According to Nguyen Quang Vinh, Deputy Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, Indian tourists often travel with family or groups of friends, rarely traveling alone. At the same time, they love shopping, participating in outdoor activities, visiting museums, cultural and historical relics, and Indian tourists also like to eat and party. Therefore, travel businesses need to build products suitable for each group of Indian tourists such as tourists taking group package tours, wealthy families using high-end tours, etc., thereby ensuring the best service provision.
Similarly, LuxGroup Chairman Pham Ha said that India is a market with a lot of potential but is also difficult and has its own characteristics, especially in terms of cuisine and living habits. For example, Indians are often vegetarians, abstain from beef, and like to eat spicy foods. In Vietnam, there is an advantage of abundant sources of vegetables and fruits, and a variety of pork and poultry that can be added to the menu of Indian tourists. "However, the number of chefs specializing in Indian cuisine is not large, so the management agency needs to train and foster knowledge and skills to serve Indian guests for units exploiting this market," Mr. Ha suggested.
Many opinions say that to attract Indian tourists to Vietnam requires the tourism industry to perfect the standard ecosystem to serve Indian tourists.
Regarding this issue, Dr. Pham Hong Long, Head of the Department of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), expressed his opinion that Vietnam's tourism service infrastructure and facilities have basically met the needs of Indian tourists. However, the current cost of tourism services in Vietnam is still quite high compared to other countries in the same region such as Thailand, Myanmar, etc., reducing competitiveness.
“Therefore, the tourism industry not only needs to quickly train a team of tour guides who are good at the language and understand Indian culture, but also develop restaurant chains serving Indian cuisine. In addition, there needs to be practical subsidy policies for Indian tourists (discounts on hotel services and sightseeing tickets) to increase the attractiveness of this billion-people market to tourists,” Mr. Long suggested.
From a business perspective, BenThanh Tourist's Marketing and Information Technology Director Tran Phuong Linh said that in order to effectively exploit the flow of Indian tourists, the Government should consider a policy of supporting short-term visas for Indian tourists, thereby creating a breakthrough for the growth of this market. At the same time, it will improve the competitiveness of Vietnamese tourism compared to other countries in the region. Localities and destinations need to proactively invest in infrastructure specifically serving the religious needs of Indian tourists.
Vice President of Hanoi Tourism Association Le Ba Dung said that travel agencies need to coordinate with Indian partners to clarify the requirements of customers with specific costs to be ready to serve if customers have a need. On the side of State management agencies, coordinate with Indian tourism in cooperation and transfer of food processing technology to serve the dietary needs of Hindus and Muslims. Strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of tourism, trade, aviation, etc. to create a basis to strongly attract Indian tourists with increasingly professional services.
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/khach-an-do-mo-vang-cho-du-lich-viet-nam.html
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