Data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism shows that before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019, Vietnam welcomed only 169,000 Indian visitors. Meanwhile, last year, 392,000 Indian travellers arrived in Vietnam. In the first six months of 2024, the figure was 231,000, an increase of 164% over the same period in 2023.

India is among the top 10 largest source markets of Vietnam tourism. The report titled “Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries” by Mastercard's Economics Institute also affirmed Vietnam has emerged as a favoured international destination of Indian travellers.

The report said Indian outbound travel to Vietnam in the first three months of 2024 soared by 248% compared to 2019 levels.

According to experts, Vietnam has several advantages to further attract Indian travellers. Firstly, the distance between Vietnam and India is not too far as it takes about 4-5 hours to fly from India to Vietnam. Recently, more direct flights connecting the two countries have been operated.

In addition, Vietnam has competitive service prices, which are 10-15% cheaper than those in other countries in the region. Moreover, for many Indians, Vietnam is still a new destination with diverse culture, cuisine, and rich natural resources which inspire them to explore.

This helps explain why the number of Indian visitors to Vietnam has increased sharply in recent time, especially in places with rich tourism resources and high-quality infrastructure such as Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Ha Long, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam’s tourism industry has focused on promoting Vietnamese tourism to the Indian market.

Notably, Vietnam Airlines together with its partners of Vietravel, Vingroup, Sun Group and Indian travel agencies held an event to promote Vietnam tourism in New Delhi. They organised a series of events on the occasion of the launch of the Vietnam Tourism Information Centre in India, creating a bridge to more effectively exploit the world's most populous market.

According to experts, besides attracting Indian customers, an important issue is to develop services and products to satisfy demanding tourists.

Nguyen Quang Vinh from the Tourism Development Research Institute said Indian tourists often travel with families or groups of friends, rarely travel alone. They like shopping, outdoor activities, visiting museums and cultural and historical relics.

Vinh, who led a study on Indian tourists to Vietnam, said that Indian tourists prefer beautiful resorts and parties. They often choose to use services at the above-average level. They carefully plan for their trips and search relevant information online via portals and social networks.

So, digital promotion activities are effective to approach this tourist segment, Vinh said.

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Hong Long, head of the Department of Tourism Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University-Hanoi) said that although the number of Indian tourists to Vietnam are increasing, there are no specific and complete statistics on human resources serving Indian tourists.

It’s necessary to train and improve knowledge and skills for staff who serve Indian customers, he said.

Tourism research expert Nguyen Van Gia said that travel agencies need to coordinate closely with Indian partners to clarify guests' requirements regarding food and drink.

Gia said that State agencies need to support businesses in human resources training, particularly for tour guides, restaurant and hotel staff and staff of other service providers.

Vietnam should also cooperate with Indian partners in food processing and the supply of spices and raw materials to serve the dietary needs of Hindus and Muslims./.