Vietnam has seen a change in the demographic of Japanese tourists visiting Vietnam, with an increasing number of young Japanese visitors now traveling to the Southeast Asian country. 

To attract this emerging and promising segment, Vietnamese travel companies must innovate their products and revamp promotional activities, according to experts and business representatives who attended a seminar titled 'Boosting Vietnam-Japan Tourism: The Appeal of Unique Tourism Products,' organized by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in collaboration with Saigontourist Group on Tuesday.

The changing profile of Japanese tourists

Vo Viet Hoa, director of the outbound tourism division of Saigontourist, cited data as showing that the number of Japanese tourists who prefer self-guided trips is increasing. 

It is estimated that 50 percent of Japanese visitors book services online by themselves rather than through travel agencies.

In recent years, Vietnam has welcomed a growing number of young Japanese tourists who plan their trips independently, booking services from Japan and exploring Vietnam on their own. 

"We have extensive experience serving Japanese tourists and are adapting to this new trend by developing multi-language websites and expanding our social media presence," Hoa said.

Meanwhile Nguyen Bac Toan, deputy director of Vietjet’s commercial department, said that the airline transported around 1.3 million Japanese passengers to Vietnam in 2022, a figure that rose to 2.9 million in 2023 and is expected to top three million this year.

These numbers represent a climb in Japanese visitors to Vietnam, encompassing all travelers, not just those on leisure trips.

Vietjet operates the most flights to Japan among Vietnamese airlines, with 11 routes connecting the two countries.

The carrier serves two airports in Tokyo and plans to expand its destinations in early October.

Toan noted that the Japanese tourism market has been recently affected by several factors, including a weak yen and economic downturns. 

Furthermore, cultural shifts have caused younger generations to travel less than in the past.

According to Toan, Japan was seen as a 'golden market' in the mid-2010s, but that view has changed. 

Still, with direct flights, reasonable prices, and safe destinations, Japanese tourists are willing to travel.

Yoko Sakoda, a freelance Japanese journalist, confirmed that Japanese outbound tourism has declined since the end of the pandemic. 

Vietnam is the fifth-most popular travel destination for Japanese travelers, following the U.S., South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. 

Businesses attending the seminar emphasized that the key to attracting Japanese tourists lies in the quality of services.

Also, the competition is not limited to domestic markets but also comes from neighboring  countries like Thailand and Singapore.

"The challenge for Vietnam's tourism industry is to diversify its offerings and enhance the travel experience, not only to attract more Japanese tourists but also to encourage them to spend more during their stay in Vietnam, particularly in Ho Chi Minh City," one business representative remarked.

Tailoring tourism promotion for Japanese visitors

According to Hoang Manh Dang, CEO of Apex Vietnam, an increase in the number of young Japanese tourists means that new tourism products must be developed to effectively tap into the market. 

Dang also suggested that Vietnam's tourism promotion efforts expand their target beyond Japan's major cities where Vietnam is already well known.

He recommended providing more information in Japanese for people in smaller cities, as well as inviting Japanese influencers to Vietnam for tour reviews.

“Japanese tourists still lack sufficient information about Vietnam's tourism products,” Sakoda explained.

“Having promotional materials in Japanese is crucial because it reassures Japanese travelers and helps them make quicker, more confident decisions.

"Younger generations are increasingly proficient in English, so social media promotions should also be emphasized."

Luu Hai Dang, a representative from TikTok Vietnam, said that 10 percent of tourists are now searching for travel information online, suggesting that travel and accommodation agencies should leverage social networks to reach this growing audience.

TikTok alone has 20 million users in Japan and Japanese influencers tend to have extremely large followings, he revealed.

Meanwhile, Saigontourist Group plans to organize more multilateral and bilateral tourism promotion events, such as seminars, workshops, and familiarization trips, to introduce Vietnamese tourism products and foster partnerships between businesses.

The group will actively participate in international travel fairs in Japan to promote Vietnam’s tourism image and products.

Furudate Seiki, Deputy Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, shared that with the right products, Japanese tourists will return to Vietnam. 

"Vietnam's tourism statistics show that it is difficult to compare the Japanese market before and after the pandemic, as the mindset of Japanese tourists is no longer the same due to many economic factors,” he said.

“However, there are still Japanese people eager to travel abroad, so I hope that more of them will choose Vietnam in the coming years.”