Vietnamese tourists flock to overseas destinations.

Vietnamese tourists check in with cherry blossoms in Fukushima in early April.

Domestic travel agencies have observed that for the past two years, mid-range overseas tour packages and packages have shown no signs of slowing down. Several destinations in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia are top choices for Vietnamese tourists due to their affordable prices, overshadowing domestic tours amidst rising domestic airfares.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) in Vietnam, in the first two months of the year, the number of Vietnamese visitors to Japan reached over 107,000, a 40% increase compared to the same period in 2019. February saw the highest number of Vietnamese visitors ever recorded, exceeding 60,000. The previous highest number was in February 2023 with 55,800 visitors.

According to a JNTO representative, the surge in Vietnamese visitors to Japan in February was due to the long Lunar New Year holiday, the depreciation of the yen making tours to Japan cheaper than before the pandemic, and the increasing popularity of Japan among Vietnamese tourists. While the number of Vietnamese visitors to Japan in March and April has not yet been released, it is predicted to increase further as it coincides with the cherry blossom season.

Mr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, CEO of Klook Vietnam, said that the online travel platform recorded a 63% increase in demand for travel to Northeast Asia from Vietnamese tourists in March – the cherry blossom season. 87% of surveyed travelers said they would dedicate an entire trip solely to viewing the blossoms. Mr. Huy Hoang added that travelers are willing to invest significant time and spend generously on spring flower-viewing trips. More than half of Vietnamese users on the Klook platform want to spend about two weeks traveling during the cherry blossom season and spend an average of up to $2,500.

Taiwan and South Korea also recorded an increase in Vietnamese tourists in the first quarter. In January alone, Taiwan received 17,110 Vietnamese visitors, ranking 10th among the top 10 key markets, according to statistics from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), nearly 120,000 Vietnamese tourists visited the country in the first quarter, a 38.9% increase compared to the same period in 2023 and an 8.5% increase compared to the same period in 2019. In 2023, Vietnam was the leading market in Southeast Asia in terms of both the number of tourists in general and MICE tourists in particular to South Korea. In 2023, South Korea welcomed over 420,000 Vietnamese tourists.

To attract Vietnamese tourists, KTO is stepping up the promotion of the 100 most attractive destinations in South Korea, including Gangwon, where Vietnamese tourists are granted visa-free entry if they travel through Yangyang International Airport.

Mr. Thi Quoc Duy, Director of BenThanh Tourist's individual travel center, said that during the upcoming April 30th holiday and summer season, the company's tours to Japan and South Korea are the most popular and have received the most bookings. Following that are Southeast Asian tours to Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

In Southeast Asia, Thailand and Singapore remain traditional markets for Vietnamese tourists.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the number of Vietnamese visitors to Thailand reached 130,413 in the first two months of the year, a 7% decrease compared to the first two months of 2023 (140,919). However, the number of visitors is expected to increase in the upcoming summer months. The TAT considers Vietnam an important short-haul overseas market for Thai tourism. In 2023, the number of Vietnamese visitors was among the top 10 leading markets to Thailand, in the seven-digit range (millions of visitors) with over 1 million arrivals. This figure represents 96% of the 2019 number.

Vietnamese tourists attend the Songkran festival in Bangkok on April 12th.

Singapore also recorded growth in Vietnamese visitors in the first quarter. According to a representative from the Singapore Tourism Board, as of March 24th, the number of Vietnamese visitors reached 93,060, an increase of over 2,000 compared to the first quarter of 2023, and equivalent to 40% of the first quarter of 2019 (211,250). In 2023, the number of Vietnamese visitors entering and leaving Changi International Airport ranked 9th among the top 10 international visitor markets to the airport.

Surveys conducted at two major tourism events in April – the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival and the Vietnam International Tourism (VITM) in Hanoi – show that travel companies overwhelmingly favor overseas tours over domestic ones. Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, Marketing Director of Best Price, confirmed that customers at both events primarily purchased tours to China and Thailand, in the low to medium price range.

A representative from Hoang Viet Travel stated that domestic products accounted for only 25% of revenue after four days at the VITM fair, while tours to China accounted for 35%, and markets such as Japan, Europe, and the US contributed 40%.

HA (according to VnE)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/khach-viet-do-xo-di-nuoc-ngoai-379415.html