VietNam
Vietnam is actively promoting the Indian tourism industry as part of its efforts to diversify and grow the international tourism markets.
A rise in India tourist hit positively Vietnam’s tourism industry
According to data from the General Statistics Office, India ranked the 10th among major tourism source markets to Vietnam, with over 278 thousand Indian visitor arrivals in the first nine months of 2023.
The Indian market's visitor growth rate is quite spectacular, having recovered 240% over the same period in 2019. This result indicates that Vietnam is progressively becoming a favored destination for Indian tourists, even though most other international tourist markets have not recovered to 2019 levels.
CNBC reports that the top destinations for Indian tourists are Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. In particular, searches for hotels and flights to Vietnam soared by 390% among visitors from India. Currently, Vietnam ranks among the top 5 travel destinations for Indian travelers, according to Mr. Morgenstern.
Travelers from India particularly enjoy visiting places like Da Nang, Hoi An, Ha Long, Phu Quoc, Ha Noi, and Ho Chi Minh City. Travelers tend to be high shoppers, high vegetarians, and direct flight takers. There are a lot of Indian golfers going to Vietnam on a regular time basis, so providing outstanding service is necessary.
Why does Vietnam appeal to much more tourists from India?
According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, this outcome is the consequence of the Vietnam tourism sector's expanding promotional efforts aimed at the Indian market in recent years. In the meantime, there are an increasing number of direct flights, including those run by Vietjet Air and Vietnam Airlines, between the two nations' major cities.
Prior to 2019, there were no direct flights from India to Vietnam. However, as of right now, there is better air connectivity between the two nations, according to Vishal Suri, CEO of travel agency SOTC Travel (India).
Another reason for this increase in number of Indian tourists to Vietnam is the introduction of E-Visa by the Vietnamese government. After the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam's tourism development faces challenges in the recovery process. Therefore, this government allows foreigners from worldwide in general and India in particular to get a visa in a simplified manner.
Currently, Indian tourists can apply for an E-Visa to Vietnam and vice versa with a straightforward online visa application method. Vietnam Booking is a legally recognized and certified visa agency that offers advisory and assistance services to tourists seeking to apply for an Indian E-Visa, a Vietnam E-Visa, etc. This agency is becoming more and more trusted as a unit that specializes in offering high-quality visa services. Travelers might consider these visa services if they are concerned about the issues that arise during the E-Visa application process.
As per the Telegraph India, Vietnam's mouthwatering cuisine, stunning scenery, plethora of historical monuments, and affordable prices are drawing a lot of Indian travelers. Vietnam is unquestionably at the top of the list of inexpensive travel destinations for Indian travelers. A journey here isn't too expensive, considering the current exchange rate between the Vietnamese dong and the Indian rupee.
Opportunities for economic growth
The increase in Indian tourists has created favorable conditions for the tourism industry in Vietnam to recover and grow. The breakdown of expenses for a trip in Vietnam for an Indian tourist is roughly as follows: accommodation rental (37%), meals (24%), transportation (15%), shopping (13%), and sightseeing (7%). Indian consumers fall into the midrange and upper market sectors at this expenditure level. Local firms must therefore take advantage of this chance to boost the potential economic development of Vietnam.
Drawbacks of vietnam’s tourism sector
Nonetheless, the travel industry and travel agents still face numerous obstacles in their attempts to fully capitalize on the Indian market. The infrastructure and services of distant provinces' destinations remain somewhat inadequate to fully satisfy the demands of Indian travelers. To take advantage of the opportunities presented by this extremely promising sector, this proposal needs to be taken into account in the near future.
Given that India is a multi-religious nation where groups of visitors may belong to a wide variety of religions, welcoming Indian guests is noteworthy. Since there are so many different kinds of beliefs and cultures, businesses must also invest more money and retrain their workforce in order to provide appropriate food, entertainment, and living services.
The rapid surge of Indian tourists brought on by the expansion of direct flights is another topic of discussion. This has put strain on popular tourist spots and resulted in subpar service.
Vietnam: seeking to provide top-notch service to Indian visitors
Secretary General of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Saurabh Sanya, appreciates the possibility of fostering tourist cooperation in the near future. He pointed out that Vietnam and India have already enjoyed a cordial and positive relationship over the course of several centuries.
Morgenshtern recommended that countries reduce visa requirements and boost the frequency of flights from India in order to draw in more Indian tourists. "When these two things happen, magic happens in a developing market like India," Morgenshtern stated.
The workshop "Solutions to attract Indian tourists to Vietnam'' was held by Institute For Tourism Development Research (ITDR) in Ha Noi on September 8th. The aim is to gather feedback related to various aspects of tourism, including trends, demands, and preferences. Consequently, this study puts up suitable and workable strategies to draw Indian travelers to Vietnam in the next few years.
Excellent suggestions for the Indian travel market and methods for drawing Indian travelers to Vietnam are mentioned in this seminar. Pay close attention to the following two essential contents:
Accommodations, restaurants, and tourist sites must prioritize training staff members in culture and service. Employees must also receive training that aligns with India's faith and culture when it comes to providing services.
The second recommendation is to integrate our nation's culture into articles to enrich foreigners' knowledge before they travel. Travel agencies also need to train staff to pick up customers at the airport, on the trip to the hotel, and at other points. Even if they are little details, they have a significant and long-lasting effect on boosting Vietnamese tourism.
It is imperative that the tourism sector maintain its robust and sustainable rebound going forward. This would help the economy and guarantee that tourists from India can continue to enjoy Vietnam's tourism offerings for many years to come.
vietnamtourism.gov.vn
