Exploring Vietnam: The Reality of 'Once and Never Return' for Travelers

While the number of international tourists visiting Vietnam has been consistently increasing, the disheartening fact is that a staggering 90% visit the S-shaped land for the first time, with only around 6% returning.

This information comes from the Management Board of the Capacity Development Program responsible for environmental and social aspects (EU Project), announcing the survey results of tourists at key locations: Sapa, Ha Long, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An.

Vietnam Tourism and the Reality of 'Once and Never Return' for Travelers

According to the assessment of this program, tourist destinations in Vietnam mostly attract first-time visitors, with very few returning for a second or third visit.

Some businesses believe this is a reality that needs to be faced. The majority of returning visitors come to Vietnam for work, and overseas Vietnamese visit their relatives. Only a small fraction returns from neighboring countries.

Similarly, domestic visitors make up 39% for their first visit, 24% for the second, and only 13% for the third.

The persistent shortcomings in Vietnam tourism are thoroughly analyzed, discouraging visitors from returning, but not enough to dampen the ambition to catch up with neighboring countries in attracting repeat visitors.

Survey results also reveal that Hoi An and Da Nang attract longer stays compared to Sapa, Hue, and Ha Long. On average, tourists stay around 4.5 nights in Da Nang and Hoi An, while it's only 1.5 to 2.5 nights in Hue, Sapa, and Ha Long. However, domestic visitors stay longer in Ha Long compared to Hoi An and Da Nang.

There's a widespread opinion that addressing issues like pickpocketing, theft, and robberies on roads and tourist areas is crucial. It significantly impacts the psyche of tourists, especially influencing their decision to return for subsequent visits. Most surveyed tourists express reluctance to return to Vietnam for future trips, primarily due to these problems leading to dissatisfaction.

Results from the EU Project's Capacity Development Program responsible for environmental and social aspects reveal that nearly a quarter (22.8%) of international tourists and one-third of domestic tourists (31.3%) prefer 3-star hotels. The next popular accommodation is homestays (22.2%) and 4-star hotels (13.9%). For domestic tourists, guesthouses/hostels (18.9%) and 1-2 star hotels (17.4%) are favored. Only 12.4% of international tourists and 6.1% of domestic tourists stay at 5-star hotels or resorts, indicating that the Vietnam market is predominantly mid-range.

However, some suggest that, given the current inability to upgrade services and infrastructure entirely, Vietnam should focus on attracting high-end tourists to welcome them back. This demographic is less negatively affected by the current issues such as business scams, fraud, theft, traffic congestion, resulting in higher satisfaction levels with Vietnam.

However, the reality in Vietnam, both in tourism infrastructure and service quality, still faces numerous limitations. Massive, unorganized investments, lacking professionalism, are likened to a double-edged sword threatening the sustainable development of Vietnamese tourism. The eagerness to 'pour money' into heritage exploitation is also a contributing factor.

Next is the lack of attention to the thoughts of tourists. It seems that in Vietnam, investors are more focused on investing than on ensuring whether their actions preserve the landscape and capture the affection of tourists. Meanwhile, feedback from tourists is crucial for those in the tourism industry.

If genuine progress and development are sought, those aiming to enhance the quality of Vietnam tourism services might need to listen and care more about feedback from tourists.

Monotonous tourism products, slow innovation, lack of creativity, and duplication between regions. Limited promotional efforts, passive market research, and weaknesses persist. Every year, Vietnam invests a considerable amount to organize and participate in tourism fairs both domestically and internationally. However, the results often fall short of expectations.

To this day, the internet remains a crucial source of travel information. 60% of international tourists and 45% of domestic tourists use the internet to gather information for making travel decisions. Word of mouth comes next, with 33.7% of international tourists and 32.3% of domestic tourists relying on it. Only slightly over 25% of international tourists seek travel information through travel agencies, while about 27.4% of domestic tourists turn to TV.

There's also an opinion that currently, Vietnam is more of a discovery destination than a resort for international tourists, hence the low rate of returning visitors to Vietnam.

According to Dân trí

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour