Vietnam was among the 10 countries and territories that received the most Chinese travelers in the first six months of 2018, according to Chinese media. However, the travelers have caused concerns in Vietnam.
The South China Morning Post on August 27 reported that traveling abroad has become easier than ever for Chinese citizens thanks to a looser visa policy, the opening of more direct flights to Chinese cities, and high income.
According to a Chinese tourism research institute, the 10 countries and territories which received the most Chinese travelers in H1 included Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and the US. Thanh Lich report on VNN
CTA (China Tourism Academy), an agency belonging to the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, confirmed that most Chinese travelers choose destinations in Asia for their outbound tours, including Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia.
The statistics released by Vietnamese agencies also show similar data. Hoang Nhan Chinh, chief secretariat of the Tourism Advisory Council, confirmed that the number of Chinese travelers to Vietnam in recent years has soared rapidly.
In 2015, Vietnam received 1.7 million Chinese travelers, while in 2017, or just two years later, it received 4 million, a 2.5-fold increase. Chinese account for 30 percent of total travelers to Vietnam.
The high proportion, in the eyes of many experts, is worrying because this shows a heavy reliance on the Chinese market. Any sudden increase or decrease in the number of travelers from the market will have a big impact on Vietnam.
The number of Chinese travelers to Vietnam is high, but the benefit they bring is not. Each Chinese traveler spends an average of $600 in Vietnam, much lower than travelers from North America ($1,500) and Europe ($1,300).
Chinese travelers mostly come to Vietnam under zero-dong tours, or tours with very low fees, and enter Vietnam through Mong Cai and Lang Son border gates. Local tourism does not receive benefits from travelers.
In late May 2018, management agencies discovered that 200,000 yuan, or VND700 million, were transferred abroad through POS and did not go through any commercial bank or intermediary payment units in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, the high number of Chinese travelers has put pressure on infrastructure and social security.
Pham Trung Luong, former Deputy head of the Research Institute for Tourism Development, commented that Vietnam should attract travelers from high-spending markets (over $1,000 per traveler) such as Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Russia.