Skip to main content

Vietnam's $25 Million Tourist Target

Vietnam tourism soars high! Latest news reports indicate that Vietnam is poised to see a tremendous surge in the number of tourists who visit year after year. 

                                               [Image: Marina Lobato @Unsplash]

Year after year, Vietnam receives around 13.9 million tourists as per news reports. In 2025, Vietnam eyes 2.75 million tourists per month for the rest of the year.

[READ: Vietnam Travel Made Easy]

As a travel and culure enthusiast, I've been to Vietnam, and trust me, it’s an absolutely stunning and picturesque travel destination! The country is a kaleidoscope of vibrant history, cultural facets and picturesque landscapes. I’m already dreaming of visiting Vietnam again and again!

                                       [Image: Hanna Marks @ Unsplash]

But there's one thing that bothers me. A lot.

Vietnam is not considering the huge potential of Indian tourists at all. 

The reliance on other countries is disappointing.

Vietnam Travel Boom Among Indian Travellers

In recent years, Vietnam is one of the top favourite destinations for Indian travellers. When I was travelling with my family, nearly every third person we bumped into or met were Indian families. 

Be it a cruise at Halong Bay or the night markets at Ho Chi Minh city, we found Indians everywhere. And everyone had several shopping bags with them, buying gifts from the local markets and splurging on themselves too.


                                                              [Image: Filipe Frietas on Unsplash]

At this time when Vietnam is aiming to boost its tourism sector, it is a huge mistake to ignore the potential of wooing more Indian travellers. Indian tourist arrivals have surged to 297% as compared to pre-pandemic levels. This highlights the explosive growth of Vietnam's travel boom from India alone.

Vietnam can assess big spenders such as the MICE (corporate travel) segment, which has shot up in favour of Vietnam as a popular destination.

Consider big Indian spenders such as those who prefer to have their weddings in Vietnam's picturesque locations, that's another huge segment to tap into. 


                                            [Image: Christian @ Unsplash]   

A logical question is: Why would Vietnam want to miss out on a high-quality, high-spending tourism model that is propelled by Indian visitors?

In its most recent visa waiver for select countries, Vietnam has not included India.

A big mistake, if I may say so.

A visa waiver for Indians would have doubled the number of travellers to Vietnam. It would have opened up travel opportunities for last minute travels, weekend trips and unplanned family holidays over a festive week!

This would have guaranteed a notable volume of travellers from India that Vietnam has overlooked.

Further, granting a visa waiver to Indian travellers would have fortified Vietnam's tourism economy to become more resilient while securing a significant portion of India's booming outbound market.

Can Vietnam hit the 25 million tourist target in 2025?

Propelled by visa waiver for select countries, this would have been easy. But the recent Typhoon Bualo has been devastating and can hit tourism footfalls too.

                                                    [Image:  Nguyễn Đại @ Unsplash]
 
Latest news reports from Vietnam suggest that the country's central and northern regions have been badly hit. Roads have been damaged. Schools and offices were destroyed. A large part of Vietnamese populaton are struggling without electricity.
Over 230,000 homes are being reported as flooded or damaged. 

The financial impact of Typhoon Bualo has been staggering. 

Initial estimates suggest losses of at least 15.9 trillion dong—which means around $603 million US dollars!

A clear tourism-centric roadmap needs to be chalked out to meet Vietnam's target of 25 million tourist arrivals in 2025, as only three months are left.

                                          [Image: Jerry Kavan on Unsplash]

Vietnam Tourism Roadmap to 25 Million Visitors 

Major regional competitors like Thailand have offered travellers with visa waivers to capture the huge Indian outbound market. To meet its $25 million tourist target, Vietnam can take a cue from this and secure its position as a favourite destination for Indian travellers. 

Easy access and direct flights to hugely popular Vietnam cities such as Hanoi, Da Nang and Phu Quoc will create the perfect momentum for sustained tourist growth.

Indian travellers, particularly the wedding and MICE segments, are known for their high-end purchases and per-trip expenditure. 

Offering visa waivers to Indian travellers will directly bring in soaring visitors from this high-yield market and address the call to boost local tourism revenue with focus on quality of visitors, not just quantity.

We are a nation of travel-loving people who love to spend on a trip. Increasingly, we love to buy gifts from countries we visit and present it to our loved ones and friends. Keeping an eye on Indian visitors and offering visa waivers will boost Vietnam's tourist arrivals and give travellers more opportunities to visit more scenic destinations!  

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most LOVED Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...
181 comments
Read more

Best time to light diya

Want to know when is the best time to light diya or deepam at home? In most Hindu homes, 'deepam' or 'diya' is lit at least twice - once in the morning and then in the evening. For both times, brass is considered to be auspicious for lighting deepam or lamp at home. Clay diyas are also considered auspicious for lighting at home. When lighting diyas on Fridays, it is better to use ghee than oil, if possible. [ Connect with Svara on Facebook ] [Read: Vidyarambham - The Labyrinth Within] When Should I Start Lighting Diyas? The symbolic shift begins from darkess to light. Therefore, in the evenings, light diya before sunset to usher in divine blessings into your home. At what time should we light diya today? Every morning at sunrise and every evening before or at sunset. An ideal time would be to light the diya at least half an hour before sunset. Can we light diya after 12 PM? In Hindu homes, the diya is lit early morning at around sunrise and towards evening sunset. Can ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gayatri Mantra as Panchamukhi: Get it right or let it go

Most people do not understand the importance of chanting the Gayatri mantra because they are not aware of its power. It is only when I began to read Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teachings that I learned how sacred and powerful the chanting of the Gayatri mantra is.   [Subscribe to my weekly newsletter now]   The Vedas represent the breath of God. The Gayatri mantra is the very basis of the Vedas. Try not to undertake chanting the Gayatri mantra as a light endeavor or as a hobby. It has to be chanted with faith, discipline and purity of mind and body. Be steady with your sadhana if you want to reap the spiritual dividend associated with the Gayatri mantra  and never once hesitate once you decide to do it.  Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba said that the Gayatri Mantra is referred to as Pancha Mukhi, the Goddess with five faces that represent the five pranas or life forces. Here's more on it. .  Also read: The Power of OM  and Dark Night of the Sou...
40 comments
Read more

Mumbai Police Movie Review: Prithviraj breaks the typical 'hero' mold, challenges sexual stereotyping

Exploring a completely different dimension in his latest film Mumbai Police , Director Rosshan Anddrews delivers a fast-paced, thriller film after his award winning fims such as Udayananu Tharam, Notebook and others. To flesh out the script written by Boby Sanjay, Rosshan Anddrews ropes in actors such as Prithviraj, Rahman and Jayasurya to portray three police officers: Antony Moses, Farhan and Aryan respectively. The story begins with a phone call that Antony Moses (starring Prithviraj) makes to Farhan (starring Rahman) saying that he has solved the murder mystery of Aryan (starring Jayasurya). Just as he says this, there is an accident and Antony Moses loses his memory. From then, Farhan's attempt is to take Antony through people and places that are likely to trigger his memory so that they can solve the murder of their close friend and colleague Aryan. A series of events happen, almost hurtling us towards it.   And I am taking the liberty to hand out troph...
23 comments
Read more

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. [ Let's Connect on Facebook ] As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. The most essential factor is unwavering focus and concentration when you light the lamp every eve...
2 comments
Read more