South Korea has emerged as the top leisure destination for Vietnamese travelers, according to a study Visa conducted this year.

Twenty-four percent of the Vietnamese polled in the Green Shoots Radar study visited South Korea in the past year, the digital payment company said in a press release on Tuesday.

Mainland China (17 percent) and Japan (16 percent) were the next most popular destinations.

For business trips, Australia was the top choice, with 19 percent of the Vietnamese respondents selecting it, closely followed by mainland China, Thailand, and South Korea, each garnering 16 percent of preferences.

The Green Shoots Radar study was conducted online, surveying 8,400 consumers across 14 Asia-Pacific countries and territories, including 500 Vietnamese respondents aged 18-65, in January 2024.

This quarterly report analyzes consumer sentiments across various sectors, including financial services, commerce, and travel.

The study reveals a surge in travel frequency among the Vietnamese population, Visa remarked.

According to the data, 30 percent of the Vietnamese surveyed have traveled for leisure or business purposes in the past year.

This trend aligns with a broader travel resurgence across the Asia-Pacific region, with 37 percent of those polled reporting overseas travel within the same period.

Vietnamese travelers prefer booking flight tickets directly from airline websites, with 40 percent doing so.

Of the respondents who booked their accommodations through online travel agencies and paid the full amount upon booking, 29 percent opted to use their credit cards, making it the second-most popular payment method after e-wallets, which accounted for 49 percent.

This preference mirrors trends seen across the Asia-Pacific region, where consumers generally opt to book their air tickets directly through airline websites and choose to pay for accommodations upfront using credit cards.

The future of travel remains promising, with 41 percent of the Vietnamese respondents planning leisure travel in the next six months.

The top three leisure destinations for the next 12 months are Australia, mainland China, both at 18 percent, and South Korea at 17 percent.

For business travel, mainland China (15 percent), South Korea and Australia, both at 14 percent, and Japan (12 percent) are the most likely destinations.

According to Visa’s Global Travel Intentions 2023 study, cashless payments are the preferred choice for the majority of the Vietnamese respondents, with 92 percent opting for credit cards and 87 percent choosing debit cards to enhance their overall travel experience.

Digital payments continue to grow in popularity for Vietnamese travelers, with the latest data from another study by the company showing high usage of Internet banking (33 percent), online payment (debit and credit cards, 22 percent), and contactless cards (21 percent) for overseas travel bookings and spending.

Digital payments are increasingly favored by Vietnamese travelers, as indicated by the latest data from another study of the company that reveals a significant usage rate of Internet banking (33 percent), online payment methods including debit and credit cards (22 percent), and contactless cards (21 percent) for overseas travel bookings and expenditures.

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