In about a week, a group of more than 4,500 tourists from Sun Pharma - the world's fourth largest pharmaceutical corporation owned by an Indian billionaire - will visit Vietnam. This event marks a new step forward for the tourism industry in exploiting this billion-people market. Notably, India is one of the seven markets providing the largest source of international visitors to Vietnam tourism.
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Regarding the preparation for welcoming the largest Indian tourist group ever, on the afternoon of August 21, Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Marketing Director of Vietravel Tourism Company, said that many units were coordinating with each other, in which Vietravel was in charge of organizing the reception, implementing travel, food, accommodation and entertainment services for tourists.
The delegation will have 5 days of sightseeing, working and relaxing in Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh. This event marks an important step in affirming Vietnam's position as an ideal destination for international events and conferences.
Not only this group of guests, Ms. Van Khanh said that in the first 7 months of the year, Vietravel also welcomed about 6,000 Indian guests, 6 times the number of Indian guests that the company welcomed in 2023. When coming to Vietnam, Indian tourists often prioritize choosing prominent destinations such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Da Nang... These destinations not only bring rich experiences in culture, history and cuisine but also suit the exploration and experience interests of Indian tourists.
Wedding of an Indian millionaire in Hoi An in 2024. Photo: LAM GIANG
According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, in the first 7 months of the year, Vietnam welcomed nearly 10 million international visitors, an increase of more than 50% over the same period. Of which, Indian visitors reached more than 271,000, an increase of 127%. Tourists from this billion-people country also grew faster than the growth rate of other tourist markets to Vietnam.
According to The Economic Times, it is estimated that by 2024, Indian tourists will spend about 42 billion USD on foreign tourism. This is currently one of the fastest growing tourist markets in the world.
Ms. Thai Phuong Hoa, General Director of Sun World (Sun Group), commented that Indian tourists are increasingly interested in and fond of Vietnamese destinations. In particular, Phu Quoc, Ha Long, Da Nang are considered ideal new destinations for weddings, anniversaries, engagements... of the upper and middle class of India. "Indian tourists tend to like to go to places with cool weather, beautiful landscapes or beautiful beaches, like shopping and entertainment services. In addition, they also prioritize destinations with services and restaurants that suit their tastes and habits such as Indian, vegetarian or Hala food" - Ms. Thai Phuong Hoa said.
According to statistics at Sun World parks, Indian visitors have also shown a good growth trend recently. If in 2019, the number of visitors only reached 50,000, in 2023 it increased to 200,000 and is expected to increase to 400,000 this year. Sun Group's resorts in Phu Quoc and Da Nang are also the top choices of many Indian guests for weddings.
Previously, in 2023, Vietnam welcomed more than 392,000 Indian visitors, an increase of 231% compared to 2019. With the above figures, it can be said that India has now become one of the largest international tourist markets in Vietnam and the wave of welcoming visitors will continue to increase.
Understand customers to increase spending and stay
To attract more Indian tourists, airlines have recently continuously opened more direct flights connecting the two countries, contributing to stimulating travel demand, creating favorable conditions for travel between India - Vietnam and vice versa. From Indian airports, tourists only take about 4-5 hours to fly to Vietnam.
The rapid increase in Indian tourists is something that everyone can see, but the Vietnamese tourism industry still has a lot to do to exploit this stream of tourists. Mr. Vo Viet Hoa, Director of International Tourism Division of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, said that in 2023, the company attended the ITB International Tourism Fair in India to promote tourism. In the first 7 months of the year, the company welcomed a number of high-class delegations combining work and business, choosing 6-day, 5-night itineraries, 5-star resorts in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi - Ha Long. The spending level is 100 USD/guest/day. However, the number of visitors is still not as expected. In the period of 2024 - 2025, the tourism industry needs to improve the shortage of Hindu tour guides and some special conditions of accommodation facilities and restaurants in the service process so that this stream of tourists can really explode.
Mr. Dang Manh Phuoc, Director of The Outbox Company (a tourism market research unit), cited statistics showing that although more than 2/3 of Indian tourists choose Asian destinations for their next trip, in Southeast Asia, they prioritize Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia over Vietnam. "If we want Vietnam to become the top priority destination for Indian tourists in the coming time, especially high-spending tourists (rich tourists), we need many suitable solutions to meet their tastes and needs..." - Mr. Phuoc said.
A representative of Vingroup said that not long ago, Vinpearl Nam Hoi An organized a wedding for an Indian millionaire couple that lasted 4 days and 3 nights with more than 330 guests from the Indian elite. The organizers mobilized more than 400 professional staff, meeting strict requirements for the party space, from decoration, service style, and menu. Cultural and experiential factors were required to be prepared very carefully, both preserving the rituals, culture, and typical cuisine of India and having a fusion with the beauty of Vietnam - Asia - Europe. The chefs and culinary experts also researched and created many vegetarian dishes, without using pork and beef to suit the taste of guests...
To effectively exploit the flow of Indian tourists, especially the middle-class and upper-class segments in the coming time, the general director of Sun World proposed that the Government study and apply a policy to support short-term visas for Indian tourists to create a breakthrough from this market. At the same time, improve the competitiveness of Vietnamese tourism compared to other countries in the region. "It is necessary to strengthen the training of tourism personnel specializing in serving Indian tourists in restaurants, hotels, and tourist destinations. Localities and destinations also need to invest in infrastructure specifically serving the religious needs of Indian tourists, such as prayer areas/rooms because this group of tourists has special needs related to religious beliefs, separate living habits... In addition, the majority of Indian tourists still love their country's cuisine and religious practices, but the number of chefs who can cook Indian dishes is still very lacking" - Ms. Thai Phuong Hoa suggested.
Boost promotion at national level
According to businesses, for the majority of Indian tourists, Vietnam is a new destination and has only really become a hot spot since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Indian tourists do not have much information or understanding about tourism in Vietnam. Therefore, the tourism industry needs to promote more strongly to the Indian tourist market at the national level as well as to localities and businesses.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/khan-truong-don-khach-an-do-19624082121035803.htm
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