Vietnam's outbound travel buzz soars this summer

Vietnam's outbound tourism continues to show strong growth potential for the upcoming peak summer travel season, translating into opportunities for domestic tourism companies and international destinations.

Vietnamese travelers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand. Photo: VNA

Nearly 80% of Vietnamese respondents intend to take a summer trip in the next 12 months, according to the findings of the Vietnam Outbound Trends - Summer 2024 report.

In the Southeast Asia region, Vietnamese travellers' outbound travel enthusiasm index for this summer ranks second behind Singapore and Indonesia, and ahead of Thailand and Malaysia.

Of these, only 22.2% of travelers surveyed have booked their travel services (fully or partially), with the majority of travelers still in the planning stage or considering their choice of destination.

This can be partly attributed to the impact of price and economic factors on how Vietnamese travelers prepare for their outbound trips, as well as the growing trend for last-minute bookings in the Vietnamese market, the report said.

One of the most notable highlights of the Vietnamese outbound tourism market this summer will be the focus on older travelers.

The survey results show that Gen X is the leading market segment this summer, with 58.8% of Gen X travelers surveyed saying they plan to take at least one outbound trip this season. This figure is double that of the Gen Z traveler segment.

The report also highlighted that similar to the global trend, intra-regional travel continues to be the dominant destination choice for Vietnamese travellers. Around 60% of Vietnamese holidaymakers choose nearby destinations within the Asian region for their next trip.

Vietnamese travelers generally remain loyal to traditional destinations such as South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. China is the only new name, replacing Taiwan (China) to become a prominent new top five international destination favored by Vietnamese travelers, according to the report.

Vietnamese tourists also show a tendency to prioritize short trips when traveling abroad, with 71.5% of them choosing trips of less than a week. The peak season for outbound tourism is forecast to fall in June and July this year.

Many Vietnamese travelers are setting their sights on destinations closer to home, with Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia as popular choices. Within Asia, non-ASEAN countries are gaining traction, with South Korea emerging as a leading destination. Moreover, around a third of travelers are venturing outside Asia for their summer holidays.

Vietnamese travelers are looking for diverse experiences, with nature and outdoor adventures and city breaks at the top of their wish list, with 36.4% choosing this as their favorite experience for this holiday.

For city breaks, ASEAN is a popular choice for Vietnamese travelers, with 22% choosing it. Nature lovers, on the other hand, prefer destinations outside Southeast Asia, while those looking for culinary adventures head outside Asia.

On a more positive note, the survey results show that travel is becoming an increasingly important activity for Vietnamese, with 31% of travelers willing to spend more on travel experiences and 45.6% maintaining their previous travel budgets.

As a result, the average spending of Vietnamese outbound tourists is expected to fall in the range of US$1,000-US$1,500 this summer. Spending is expected to increase for destinations outside Asia, with many travelers budgeting upwards of US$2,000.