Australian tourists are interested in Vietnam but admit that most still prioritize Bali (Indonesia) and Thailand when traveling.
A survey in September 2022 by Escape - Australia's leading travel brand - showed that Vietnam is one of the top 10 destinations for Australian visitors, alongside countries such as India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics also showed that in the first quarter, nearly 82,000 Australian visitors visited Vietnam, an increase of 14.4% over the same period. One of the biggest reasons for the trend of Australians going to Vietnam is cheap airfare.
Round-trip tickets from cities in Australia to Ho Chi Minh City are currently priced at an average of about $880. While summer airfares from Australia to Europe have increased by 63% compared to before the pandemic, airfares to Vietnam have increased by about 21%.
Grant Wilson, an Australian tourist who has lived in Vietnam for 6 years, shared that the economy in this country is not really good. Therefore, Australians are also looking to affordable tourist countries in Southeast Asia. The concept of "affordable" can be understood as hotel rooms under 100 USD per night, meals costing 10 USD, round-trip airfare under 1,000 USD. Of course, there are still wealthy Australians who choose to go to Japan, Europe or North America.
"Vietnam meets the criteria of affordable prices, many impressive landscapes and countless beautiful beaches," said Grant.
Grant Wilson (left) during his time in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Grant Wilson
This tourist likes Vietnam the most among Southeast Asian countries, but emphasizes that Australians still consider Bali (Indonesia) or Thailand as top destinations. Not to mention the visa policies for retired foreigners with money in Indonesia and Thailand also make Australian tourists prioritize these two destinations.
Rhonda Nichols, who lives in Far North Queensland, Australia, has been to Vietnam six times, usually staying for two to six weeks. Nichols arrived in Vietnam last August as soon as she heard that tourism was reopening. Like Grant, he likes Vietnam the most out of all the Southeast Asian countries, but there’s no denying that many Australians prefer Bali, Thailand.
"Don't become a place for drunk, noisy tourists like Bali or Thailand. Introduce Vietnam as a country with beautiful landscapes, friendly people and the best food in the world," he said, emphasizing that Vietnam is only about a two-hour flight from Bali. Therefore, losing potential Australian tourists to Bali, Thailand is "regrettable".
Nichols said he understood that the main group of tourists in Vietnam were Chinese. However, he stressed that Australians spend a lot when they travel and that not all groups can compare. Nichols himself could not remember how much he spent on bars, restaurants and tours during his time in Vietnam.
This tourist suggested that Vietnam should soon improve its online visa application (e-visa) browser, and at the same time remove the fee of about 25 USD for visa on arrival (visa at the airport, border gate). Thailand and Indonesia do not charge this fee and that "clearly creates much more sympathy with tourists". In addition, Nichols said that Vietnam should seriously consider increasing the length of stay for foreign visitors because the current 30 days is too short.
According to the report presented by Minister of Public Security To Lam to the National Assembly on the morning of May 27, the Government has proposed to increase the duration of electronic visas from no more than 30 days to a maximum of 3 months; electronic visas (e-visas) are valid for multiple entries instead of one entry as before; and expand the scope of e-visa issuance (currently 80 countries). The drafting committee proposed to increase the temporary residence period for people entering the country under unilateral visa exemption from 15 to 45 days. This content will be discussed by the National Assembly in the hall on June 2 and voted on on the morning of June 24.
Travel companies in Vietnam that operate inbound (receiving foreign visitors) have also identified Australia as a top target market. Ms. Pham Phuong Anh, Deputy Director of Viet Travel Company, said that interest from Australian partners has increased sharply since the second quarter due to the much more diverse flight routes from Vietnam. Compared to the first quarter, interest has increased by more than 30%.
Before the pandemic, there was only one Vietnamese airline that had direct flights to Australia, other flights often had to transit, which was quite time-consuming. Currently, there are two more airlines opening direct flights, increasing the options for customers.
Competition between airlines also makes prices more reasonable. Before the pandemic, a round-trip ticket from Australia to Vietnam cost around VND20-25 million, but now this number has dropped to VND10-15 million. On the other hand, destinations such as Europe and America are also relatively saturated with Australians, so a new country like Vietnam will have more advantages.
Ms. Phuong Anh also added that Australia is a "big spender" market and loves to relax. Australians have two major vacations a year: summer and winter. Australia's winter is Vietnam's summer and vice versa. This can be considered an advantage in attracting tourists from the "land of kangaroos".
Meanwhile, Lux Travel DMC, a luxury cruise resort service provider, is also targeting the Australian market and sees it as an important target. In the near future, the company will establish a representative office in Australia and promote special-demand tourism products to increase its appeal.
5-star cruise on Lan Ha Bay. Photo: Pham Ha
Mr. Pham Ha, CEO of Lux Travel DMC, said Australian tourists are a group of customers who like quality and small group travel. They are paying great attention to two resorts: Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang).
In addition, businesses exploiting the Australian market commented that they also like Hanoi, the northern provinces, Da Nang, Hoi An (Quang Nam) and the Mekong Delta region because of their distinct cultures. However, Vietnam does not have many new services for customers to spend money on and tourism products are not really breakthroughs compared to before the pandemic.
Responding to VnExpress , a representative of Vietnam Tourism emphasized that Vietnam has a significant advantage over Bali or Thailand. Both of these destinations are too old and familiar to most international visitors. Vietnam has more impressive landscapes and attractions, and there are things to experience all year round, while Bali, Thailand only focuses on summer vacations. In addition, direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi to Melbourne, Sydney also create conditions for Vietnam to compete with Bali, Thailand.
However, the most important thing right now is that the visa policy needs to be open and transparent. As Nichols commented, Ms. Phuong Anh also received similar complaints from her Australian partner about the short stay and the "somewhat complicated" visa application process. The company representative said that although the number of inquiries increased by more than 30% compared to the first quarter, the actual number of bookings was still limited.
Because international tourists have a habit of booking long-distance tours, it is currently very difficult to attract tourists from Australia to Vietnam. Ms. Phuong Anh's company is focusing on tour booking requests at the end of the year and hopes that there will soon be changes in visa policies to attract customers.
Tu Nguyen
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