Vietnam did not feel satisfied about the results of the tourism industry in 2022. It was the country which most quickly reopened tourism in ASEAN, but it received only 3.6 million travelers in 2022, or just 70 percent of target, and only 20 percent of the number of travelers in 2019.

At a recent seminar discussing solutions to attract foreign travelers, Nuno F.Ribeiro from RMIT University said the domestic market is an important market, which is 15 times larger than the international market, but foreign travelers spend much more, 11 times higher than domestic travelers.

In addition to attracting travelers, turning them into ‘media ambassadors’ for Vietnam’s tourism is important.

At present, the proportion of foreign travelers coming back to Vietnam for repeat visits is 8-10 percent, a very small figure compared with Thailand’s 70 percent. 

Some travelers visit Vietnam only one time.

Martin Koerner, head of the Tourism Working Group of the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF), said that Vietnam’s visa policy is complicated and contains limitations. Vietnam still hasn't established an e-visa scheme with some countries.

Luong Hoai Nam, an expert in tourism and aviation, said the problem lies in the unreasonable visa policy. Tourists complain that they have found it more difficult to apply for visas than in the pre-pandemic period.

Vietnam has recently made progress in improving visa procedures, especially decisions by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on increasing the list of countries enjoying visa waivers and expanded length of stay, but they have been implemented slowly.

He said that he had heard negative feedback from tourists. They have to wait too long at airports. It takes 2-3 hours to follow entry/exit procedures, which makes it inconvenient for older people and families with small children, and busy businesspeople. Because of the unpleasant experience during their first time in Vietnam, they do not return to Vietnam, but to Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines instead.

Vietnam needs more famous destinations 

Commenting about the target of 8 million foreign travelers this year, Nguyen Thi Le Huong, deputy CEO of Vietravel, believes that Vietnam’s tourism will recover by 80-90 percent compared with pre-pandemic period as Vietnam has applied measures to remove barriers. 

However, she said that the index about the number of travelers is less important than the recovery of tourism and the spending of foreign travelers.

To attract and retain tourists, she stressed that tourism products play the most important role. After Covid-19, Asian, not European travelers, will account for the largest proportion. Therefore, it is necessary to design tours most suitable to Asian travelers.

Huong believes that Vietnam should define itself as a beach resort destination. Vietnam has done this well, attracting travelers from South Korea, Singapore, India and Mongolia. Vietnam should also develop sports tourism and MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, Event). If so, travelers will come to Vietnam all year round rather than only in the inbound tourism season which lasts from September to April.

Agreeing with Huong, Hoang Nhan Chinh, secretary of the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), said it would be better to set a higher target than 8 million foreign travelers. If the growth rate in the first three months of the year continues, the target of 10-12 million foreign travelers is within reach.

Vietnam needs to follow the moves by neighboring countries to attract high income earners. According to Chinh, in 2019, foreign travelers to Vietnam spent $1,200 per head and stayed 9.1-9.2 days, while Thailand received 40 million foreign travelers, who spent $2,400-2,500 per head.

According to Ance Maylany Napitupulu from the Indonesian Embassy in Vietnam, Indonesia now ranks 32nd in global tourism, but its tourism industry began developing in 1970. The country has been prospering from the brand of Bali. In 2015, Indonesia realized that it needed many brands like Bali.

However, she believes that a visa is not the only solution to promote tourism. It is also necessary to advertise tourism attractions. During the pandemic, many travelers chose to come to Bali to work from a distance.

Believing that Vietnam is on the right track to improve the tourism industry, she said Vietnam should develop Ha Long into a Vietnam’s Bali, and turn other destinations into well-known brands to lure travelers.

Ngoc Ha