Vietnamese optimistic about post-pandemic tourism changes

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese travellers are the second-most interested in Asia-Pacific (APAC) in travelling in the post-pandemic period, with 85% of the respondents planning to travel in the next 12 months, a survey by Booking.com found.

According to the APAC Traveller Confidence Index survey by the US-based online travel agency which surveyed 11,000 travellers across 11 countries and territories in the region between April and May, Vietnam is just behind India, with 86%.

China, one of the few places in the world sticking to a zero-COVID-19 policy, came third, followed by Australia and New Zealand.

The survey provides insight into regional travellers’ comfort level to explore the world and whether they are excited about domestic travel after the pandemic.

It indicates that Indian, Vietnamese and Chinese respondents are the most willing to put up with and/or overlook key travel deterrents caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to travel.

Real demand by Vietnamese tourists

The survey found that 62% of the Vietnamese respondents plan to make one to two trips this year and 45% wish to visit famous destinations near Vietnam with a three-to-eight-hour flight time instead of short (less than three hours of flight) or long (over eight hours of flight) trips.

Notably, a total of 82% of the surveyed Vietnamese respondents said they felt happy as Vietnam reopened its border to international tourism and lifted most of the COVID-19 travel restrictions.

That shows that Vietnamese people are extremely optimistic about changes in tourism in the post-pandemic period, including disruptions in their itinerary or travel costs.

The survey found the Vietnamese respondents are the readiest to go into quarantine and endure higher travel costs. They also show their confidence in Vietnam’s ability to receive travellers again.

After two years of closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 55% of the visitors said they need relaxation and mental health care.

In particular, 45% of Vietnamese tourists want to travel because they have planned before the pandemic but have not yet implemented it. Also, about 32% of the surveyed Vietnamese respondents said that they simply want to leave their homes, regardless of the destination.

The aftershocks of the pandemic made many families "tighten their belts" before each trip.

The biggest concern of Vietnamese travellers for now is high travel costs (53%), quarantine rules (36%), the possibility of contracting the COVID-19 (32%) while travelling and suddenly changing pandemic-related entry regulations (31%).

While the pandemic still has the potential to be unpredictable, 49% of the Vietnamese respondents said they accept this disruption and inconvenience as part of their journey, meaning they are embracing the changes needed to be able to travel again.

Up to 39% of the Vietnamese people surveyed said they are willing to share their personal information for the sake of public health and safety.

Meanwhile, 29% said they agree to share their personal information for a personalised experience – a key element in building pandemic response strategies in most countries.

Sustainable tourism prioritised

According to Booking.com’s 2022 Sustainable Travel Research Report, 81% of the global travellers confirm that sustainable travel is important to them, with 50% saying that recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices.

In the Asia-Pacific region, 83% of the surveyed Vietnamese respondents agreed with the importance of making more sustainable travel decisions. Among them, 73% said they are willing to pay more for sustainability.

Some 70% of the global travellers say they will be more likely to choose a sustainable accommodation – whether they are looking specifically for one or not./.