Vietnam is quickly becoming a destination favored by international billionaires and influencers, proving that the Southeast Asian country’s tourism and service offerings have a wide appeal beyond budget backpackers.

Most recently, an Indian pharmaceutical billionaire chose Hanoi, Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, and Ninh Binh Province in northern Vietnam for his company trip, which featured 4,500 employees, in August this year.

Satisfying personal demands

According to Thuy Nguyen, chief business officer of Silk Path Hotels & Resorts Hanoi, high-end tourists typically visit Vietnam because the country’s tourism industry is able to cater to their whims.

For these wealthy tourists, normal tourism products are no good. Instead, everything must be personalized, including cusine, overall dining experiences, and other services.

Vietnam hopes to attract more of these tourists, who are difficult to please, and has been making preparations to satisfy their desires.  

A report by Oxford Economics indicated that tourists visiting Southeast Asia are willing to pay an additional US$250 each per day to experience high-end culinary services.

Liam Cordingley, lead economist and economic consultant in Asia for Oxford Economics, said that 75 percent of high-income tourists pay significant attention to culinary experiences and use such experiences as criteria for choosing destinations.

Liam stated that premium culinary experiences consist of high-quality ingredients, diverse menus featuring special, flavorful dishes crafted by renowned chefs, and a wide variety of beverages.

These services should be both personalized and professionally executed, he added.

Attractive tourist products needed

Tran Trung Hieu, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the capital city is aiming to attract well-off tourists by taking advantage of its strengths as a cultural hub and diversifying its offerings.

The city currently hosts three UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage sites, including practices related to the Viet beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms, Giong festival of Phu Dong and Soc temples and ca tru (northern ceremonial singing), as well as nearly 10,000 craft villages and national intangible tangible cultural heritage sites.

Besides tourist sites, cultural products, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) products, and eco-tourism services help the city meet the demands of high-spending tourists.

In the near future, Hanoi will focus on developing four- to five-star hotels, upgrading tourist attractions, training high-skilled human resources, and speeding up digital transformation in tourism to appeal to more high-end international travelers.

Understanding the potential of the high-end tourism market, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism has begun carrying out tourism promotion activities to introduce Vietnam as a high-quality destination.

Director of the authority Nguyen Trung Khanh said Vietnam has valuable natural and cultural resources -- a foundation to develop attractive tourist products.

Vietnam has also been honored as a safe and interesting destination by international organizations.

Many billionaires and influencers have picked the Southeast Asian country as the venue for their important events, affirming Vietnam’s attraction to rich tourists.

"We have all the necessary conditions to welcome high-end tourists, from infrastructure like lodging facilities and entertainment venues to tours, destinations, and services, especially our professionalism in service delivery," Khanh stated.

"Vietnam is fully prepared to attract high-end tourists.

"However, the number of such visitors remains modest and does not yet match the country's potential and strengths."

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