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| A bird's-eye view of An Thoi town in Phu Quoc (Photo: VNA) |
Despite a shorter Lunar New Year holidays from February 9-12, major Korean travel companies such as Hana Tour, Very Good Travel and Kyowon Tour Travel Easy on January 17 reported a remarkable annual surge in tour bookings, averaging around 50%.
Hana Tour revealed a substantial 48% increase in overseas travel bookings during the holidays, demonstrating the highest growth in Southeast Asia at 57%, followed by Japan at 25%, Europe 6%, South Pacific 6%, and China 5%. This underscores a discernible customer preference for destinations with shorter distances.
Breaking down the data by region, the demand for travel to Vietnam and Japan collectively constituted over half of the bookings, with 27% heading to Vietnam and 25% to Japan.
Analysing holiday booking data, Kyowon Tour Travel Easy identified Japan as having the highest proportion of reservations, accounting for 20.8% of the total. Vietnam secured the second position with a share of 11.7%.
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Phu Quoc Island from above (Photo: baokiengiang.vn)
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Very Good Travel anticipated a booking growth of more than 10%. Among all international travel bookings, Southeast Asia took the lead with the highest share at 37.2%, followed by Japan at 29.1%, Europe 11.2%, Oceania 8.1%, and China 6.4%.
According to its data, newly emerging tourist destinations gaining popularity among travellers include Siem Reap in Cambodia, Phu Quoc in Vietnam, Taichung in Taiwan (China), and Matsuyama in Japan.
Renowned for its long beaches with gleaming white sand nestled beside inviting turquoise waters, Phu Quoc island received accolades from the American travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler (CN Traveler) as one of the world’s top islands in 2023, marking its second consecutive year on the prestigious list.
Beyond its stunning landscapes, Phu Quoc stands out as one of Vietnam's most alluring destinations, offering a kaleidoscope of cultural-historical experiences and a range of accommodations, from affordable housing to luxurious resorts.
Vietnam enters regional tennis championship finals
Vietnamese players Le Tien Anh and Vu Tuan Phong have qualified for the Asian tennis championship finals in India in April after winning the championship at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Asia 14 & Under Development Championship 2024 Regional qualifying – South, Southeast and East Asia, said the Vietnam News Agency.
During the qualifying event that took place from January 7-17 in the northern province of Bac Ninh, Anh won the championship in the boys’ singles event while female player Naba Sishan topped the girls’ singles event.
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| Vietnamese player Le Tien Anh at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Asia 14 & Under Development Championship 2024 Regional qualifying – South, Southeast and East Asia. (Photo: webthethao.vn) |
Anh and Phong won the boys’ double event, while in the girls’ doubles event, A.Diyunuge and S.Arachchi from Sri Lanka got the title.
The tournament featured 28 athletes from seven countries, namely Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Cambodia, Brunei, and Vietnam. Vietnam sent five players to the event.
International arrivals in Vietnam expected to grow in 2024
The volume of international arrivals in Vietnam is forecast to increase in 2024, the Vietnam News Agency quoted a report titled “Vietnam Travel Landscape 2024” released by The Outbox Company on January 17.
According to the Vietnam-based market intelligence company, the country’s aviation industry has bounced back impressively since the travel restrictions triggered by COVID-19 were relaxed in the country and the world. Vietnam has quickly become the world’s fastest recovering domestic aviation market and is expected to establish itself as the fifth fastest developing one by 2035.
Despite challenges in 2022 and surging costs in 2023, the hospitality industry has also shown resilience. For example, a higher occupancy rate and basic efficiency are also considered positive signals for 2024. Hotel bookings are rising strongly, and the hotel investment market is now in the process of full recovery, the firm said.
Given such signals, the travel landscape in 2024 is following such main trends as experiential tourism, wellness tourism, eco-tourism, and sports tourism. Tourists’ growing preference for the brands matching personal value and ethics will change the market.
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The volume of international arrivals in Vietnam is forecast to increase in 2024.
In photo: Golden Bridge in the central city of Da Nang. (Photo: VNA) |
In particular, the trend of using smart guides and ChatGPT in tourism will help boost the stature of travel agents, the report noted.
Talking about Vietnam’s tourism achievements in 2023, The Outbox Company said the tourism industry has demonstrated a significant recovery, with a remarkable increase in international tourist arrivals to reach 12.59 million, soaring almost four-fold from 2022.
However, the recovery rate of Vietnam in the first three quarters of 2023 stood at 44% of pre-pandemic levels, the lowest among popular Southeast Asian destinations. The absence of Chinese tourists remains a significant factor in the lower numbers.
A bright spot of Vietnam’s tourism industry in 2023 was the diversity of international tourist sources, from emerging markets to niche ones, helping increase foreign visitors to the country. Besides tourists from East Asian markets like China and the Republic of Korea, there is the potential of those from some other regions.
In particular, India is emerging as an attractive market for Vietnam’s tourism industry, as the wealth and interest in tourism of the middle class in the South Asian country is on the rise. India's outbound tourism is predicted to grow considerably. If the industry increases measures for tapping into this market such as easing the visa policy and adjusting services, it can enhance the attractiveness to Indian visitors, the company added.
Nearly 10 billion VND worth of Tet gifts presented to needy people in Da Nang
The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Da Nang City organized the “Spring of Love – Year of the Dragon 2024” program on January 17 to give Tet gifts to needy households throughout the city, said the Nhan Dan Newspaper.
As many as 18,838 Tet gifts worth over 9.7 billion VND (about 395,270 USD) will be presented to poor households and ethnic minority groups in Da Nang.
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| Tet gifts presented to needy people in Da Nang. (Photo: NDO) |
In addition, 35 households in extreme poverty were also given Tet gifts worth 700,000 VND each on this occasion.
Within the framework of social security activities ahead of Tet, Da Nang authorities will also visit and grant Tet gifts to 421 ethnic minority households in Hoa Vang District.
The programs aimed to promote the tradition of “mutual compassion” and “good leaves cover torn leaves” to help disadvantaged people have a warm Tet./.