Int’l arrivals to Vietnam bounce back
Friday, September 30, 2022, 15:00 GMT+7
The number of international visitors arriving in Vietnam, particularly those from other Southeast Asian countries, has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic was put under complete control this year.
But while regional neighbors such as Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia make up the majority of arrivals to Vietnam, the number of visitors from traditional source markets such as South Korea, China, and Japan remains low.
As such, domestic travel firms across the country are developing new strategies to tap both new and old markets.
Preparing for peak tourism season
According to Saigontourist Travel Service Company, the number of new arrivals to Vietnam seems to be increasing and the company is operating at full capacity in order to meet the demands of tourist groups from Europe, Australia, and America.
“The summer travel season has passed, so we are now promoting inbound tours,” Nguyen Huu Y Yen, director of Saigontourist, said, adding that the firm is currently recruiting more staff members to help keep up with demand.
Travel service platform Travelner has also recorded a surge in the number of foreign tourists booking flights to Vietnam since the country fully reopened international tourism in March this year.
To meet current demands and prepare for an expected spike in tourism toward the end of the year, Vietnamese budget carrier Vietjet has launched several new international routes, including 17 direct air routes linking Vietnam and India’s Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Bangalore; services from Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to South Korea’s Busan City, and those from Hanoi to Japan’s Nagoya and Fukuoka.
More promotion programs needed
Large hotel chains operating in Vietnam currently report occupancy rates of 70-80 percent despite the summer travel season having ended.
Hoteliers in large cities say that the majority of these guests hail from Australia, Singapore, and South Korea.
According to Nguyen Thi Khanh, chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, October is Vietnam’s 'high season' for tourism.
This year, Khanh’s organization expects international arrivals in October to mainly comprise individuals and small groups, rather than large delegations.
In order to tap potential visitors, tourism enterprises across Vietnam are working with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
“In addition to the limitations of [Vietnam’s] visa policies, we face a shortage of programs to promote Vietnam,” Khanh added.
According to Nguyen Minh Man, director of communications and marketing at TST Tourist Company, the upcoming tourism season is expected to be a success despite many source markets not having full reopened.
Currently, the number of South Korean visitors entering Vietnam is increasing rapidly, while that of tourists visiting Vietnam from India and other ASEAN countries is also on the rise.
Vietnam’s airlines clear backlogs of passengers following Typhoon Noru
After ceasing operations for one day due to Typhoon Noru, 10 local airports, including Da Nang, Chu Lai, Buon Ma Thuot, and Lien Khuong, on Wednesday resumed normal operations.
Some 60,000 passengers were affected by flight cancelations on Wednesday, according to airlines.
Air carriers hurriedly relaunched operations the moment they were given the go ahead by flight authorities in order to cope with the backlog.
A representative of Vietnam Airlines said that the national flag carrier has added more flights and is using wide-body aircraft capable of doubling its passenger capacity for several routes.
Passengers were also supported in changing their flights or accessing refunds for tickets.
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