Travel firms urged to seek fresh markets to attract more foreign arrivals

According to details given by the Saigontourist Travel Service Company, as of September, groups of foreign travelers that have booked tours in advance have started to enter the country, primarily from Europe, Australia, and the United States, with those travelling via waterway routes now beginning to recover.

Nguyen Huu Y Yen, general director of Saigontourist, pointed out that the company’s inbound and outbound markets have recently seen robust growth, noting that it has launched several marketing activities in a bid to welcome more international visitors following the passing of the peak season.

Apart from Indian visitors, tourism markets in the South Asian region such as Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia are starting to show signs of robust growth following the pandemic.

At present, several large hotel chains such as Meliá Vinpearl and Saigontouirst’ four to five star hotel system have achieved an occupancy rate of 70% to 80%, even though the summer peak has passed.

Most notably, a number of hotels located in major cities said groups of Australian, Singaporean, and Korean tourists recorded the highest booking rate among international groups of travelers who will arrive in the nation later this year.

Nguyen Thi Khanh, chairwoman of Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, pointed out that apart from the visa policy restriction, tourism firms currently lack promotional programmes to help tourists gain greater insights into key Vietnamese destinations.

Nguyen Minh Man, director of communication, marketing and information technology of TST Tourist Company, noted that although key Vietnamese tourism markets have yet to fully recover, the international tourism market is predicted to enjoy a brisk trade later this year.

At present, the number of RoK tourists is growing at a fast rate, while other potential markets such as India and ASEAN countries also view Vietnam as an interesting and attractive destination.

Man went on to emphasise the necessity of changing the way tourism products are introduced, particularly as there is a trend that visitors often join trans-Vietnam tours with long trips in smaller groups.

To prepare for the peak season at the end of the year, low-cost carrier Vietjet has also moved to open several routes aimed at increasing connectivity and facilitate tourists’ travel.

Furthermore, the carrier has also pioneered new international routes, including 17 direct routes between the country and India to Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Bangalore while simultaneously launching new air services from Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to Busan in the RoK, and from Hanoi to Nagoya and Fukuoka in Japan.