VN travelers among most ready to travel in Asia-Pacific

First place in the index went to India with 86%, whilst second position was awarded to China with 79%.

Booking.com polled 11,000 travelers from 11 countries and territories throughout Asia and Oceania between April and May.

This indicates that among Asia-Pacific travelers, those from Vietnam were one of the most willing travelers to put up with or overlook key travel deterrents in order to go on holiday. This includes enduring disruptions and travel costs, as well as confidence in their home country in receiving inbound travelers.

This also signifies the great potential that exists for domestic tourism moving forward.

According to the polls, 62% of Vietnamese travelers plan to book between one and two trips this year. Overall, 45% of respondents stated that they plan to take regional trips of between three to eight hours to popular holiday destinations closer to home, as opposed to shorter trips of less than three hours or long haul flights of over eight hours of travel time.

Most notably, 82% of Vietnamese respondents are comfortable with the country opening its borders once again, whilst 75% are confident with welcoming international travelers.

When it comes to their motivation for travel, the need for a mental wellness retreat emerged as the top motivator, with 55% of Vietnamese consumers stating this is their main motivation after two years of lockdowns and a rapidly evolving travel landscape.

The most interesting aspect of this research is that 45% of respondents want to realise their pre-pandemic travel plans, and with restrictions eased it’s time now to go on holiday.

Furthermore, 32% of people would book a trip to visit a specific destination that they are interested in, while a further 32% would travel simply just to get away from home, regardless of the destination.

However, when asked about their leading concerns and what would prevent them from booking a trip, cost was listed as the number one deterrent by 53% of respondents.

According to Booking.com, the constantly evolving COVID-19 situation continues to plague travelers, followed by the fear of having to undergo quarantine at 36% and the possibility of falling ill whilst traveling at 32%.

Another major concern for Vietnamese travelers is administrative hassles involved in planning a trip, which has increased in complexity with COVID-19, with 31% of people stating that this is a significant barrier for them.

However, Booking.com noted that when asked whether disruptions are now part of travel, almost half of Vietnamese respondents said yes, meaning that people are starting to embrace these essential changes in order to travel.

According to Booking.com’s 2022 Sustainable Travel Report, a total of 81% of global travelers affirmed that sustainable travel is important to them, with 50% stating that recent news regarding climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Vietnam once again ranked second in the index in terms of intent to travel sustainably, with 83% of respondents agreeing on the importance of making sustainable travel decisions. Of Vietnamese travelers, 73% are willing to pay more during their holidays for sustainability, while 70% agree that they will have less options, as long as they are sustainable. 

The report also revealed that Vietnamese travelers will be much more mindful about their environmental and societal impacts in their upcoming travels. About 71% of respondents emphasise the need to eat locally-sourced food in their accommodation, while 65% want to join tours and activities organised by locals.

“With the country slowly shifting toward endemic living with COVID-19, Vietnamese look determined to make up for lost time and are ready to do their part to care for the places they visit - with a few considerations to keep in mind,” the website assessed.