Foreign travel firms rush to attract Vietnamese tourists as summer holiday approaches

With competitive pricing and convenient transportation, these offers have become an irresistible draw for many Vietnamese travelers.

Domestic travel agencies are also joining the race to either take tourists abroad or retain them within the local market.

Nguyen Thu Huong, a 38-year-old teacher from the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai province, shared that her family plans a 10-day vacation this summer.

After browsing through a wide range of domestic summer tours, Huong found herself overwhelmed by the variety of international destinations and enticing information directly advertised by foreign entities. Prices were surprisingly affordable, and transportation was extremely convenient.

Once she decided to travel this summer and started searching for information on social media, related heads-up just kept flowing in.

“I was truly drawn to destinations in Southeast Asia like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, introduced by a YouTuber. It wasn’t as expensive as I imagined," she said.

Many foreign government agencies and international travel companies are implementing strategic efforts to lure Vietnamese tourists through various promotional methods, alongside official channels.

Social media and messaging platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, X, Orkut, Hi5, Friendster, QQ, and Mixi are widely used.

Destinations with strong tourism sectors like Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia are now heavily focused on providing information on social networks to attract Vietnamese visitors.

Serene Ng, chief representative of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in Vietnam, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the board has established strategic partnerships with Vietnamese travel partners to position Singapore as a preferred destination.

This includes collaborative marketing campaigns, exclusive offers tailored to the Vietnamese market, and promotions across both digital platforms and traditional media.

"We have partnered with many artists and influential content creators in Vietnam to inspire and attract potential travelers. These influencers have personally experienced Singapore’s latest attractions and shared their authentic experiences to promote and inspire exploration," Serene Ng explained.

STB has maintained a Facebook presence since 2008, regularly posting promotional content.

Similarly, Malaysia's tourism authority is intensifying efforts through strategic collaborations with airlines, travel companies, Vietnamese influencers, and travel bloggers.

The Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board is actively pushing tourism products to make Malaysia more relatable to Vietnamese tourists, offering attractive deals specifically for the Vietnamese market.

In addition to social media promotion, the board has cooperated with strategic partners to organize familiarization trips to showcase new destinations and tourism products in Malaysia. 

This allows travel agencies to create new and appealing tour programs for Vietnamese travelers.

Many South Korean businesses are promoting niche Korean tours online, such as incentive tours, K-beauty aesthetic trips, and school exchange programs designed for specific customer groups.

Chinese tourism packages also have a strong presence on social media. 

Tours in China are competitively priced, with land tours starting around VND5 million (US$192.6) and air tours ranging from VND10 million ($385.2) to VND20 million ($770.5), often bundled with special deals.

Well-planned, long-term campaigns

Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang, deputy general director of Vietravel, a Vietnamese travel company, praised the marketing strategies of countries like Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

According to her, these nations invest methodically, develop long-term campaigns in coordination with major Vietnamese travel companies, and precisely target the preferences of Vietnamese tourists.

They are particularly agile in digital media promotion and product adjustment. There is always something new in their offerings.

With competitive pricing and strategic partnerships with large travel agencies, they directly reach potential customers. 

As a result, outbound tourism among Vietnamese travelers is surging this summer, Hoang said.

Vietravel reported that bookings for tours to Singapore, Malaysia, China, and other destinations have increased nearly 30 percent compared to the same period last year, with some outbound tours almost sold out.

Tours to Malaysia–Singapore, Bali, and Taiwan are especially popular, thanks to new itineraries.

To retain tourists domestically, Hoang suggested that Vietnamese businesses must innovate their offerings by exploring new regions, designing seasonal or event-themed tours, or personalizing travel experiences with premium services and exclusive journeys.

Agreeing with this, Nguyen Duc Hiep, general director of Viettourist, another travel firm, acknowledged the well-structured, continuous, and highly updated marketing campaigns from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Promotional combos, including visa waivers, airfare discounts, and hotel deals, and a keen understanding of travel trends are proving highly effective.

He cited national campaigns like 'Visit Thailand Year,' 'Malaysia Truly Asia,' and 'SingapoReimagine' as successful examples. 

These not only promote destinations but also build lifestyles, emotions, and experiences, appealing strongly to young Vietnamese travelers.

From a governmental management perspective, a director from a tourism department in central Vietnam acknowledged that the growing preference among Vietnamese for international travel reflects evolving personal needs and emerging tourism trends.

Amid the flood of foreign tour options, lecturer Tran Thi Phuong from the tourism faculty of a university in Ho Chi Minh City advised that travelers should look beyond just price. 

They must also consider the credibility of tour operators, transportation, and itinerary details.

After selecting a tour, tourists should ask thoroughly about the conditions included, such as personal time, free services, and especially accommodation and entrance tickets.

They should only transact through official channels and carefully review contracts to avoid suspicious promotions. 

"It is best to visit travel agency offices to verify pricing and contracts before transferring any money," Phuong advised.