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| Hạ Long Bay. Many Vietnamese travellers plan on taking at least the same number of trips in 2025 as they did in 2024. — Photo courtesy of Agoda Vietnam |
Vietnamese tourists continue to have a strong passion for travel, valuing precious time spent with friends and family, according to digital travel platform Agoda’s latest study.
While there have been concerns about discretionary spending challenges in Việt Nam for 2024 and beyond, a new study from Agoda indicates that the desire for travel among Vietnamese tourists is anticipated to persist into 2025.
A recent study from Cimigo revealed that Vietnamese consumers are focusing on savings as their optimism wanes in the face of household economic uncertainty. The report highlighted a reduction in discretionary spend as consumers delayed or halted major purchases and shifted to value-based purchases.
Against this backdrop, digital travel platform Agoda’s latest study into Vietnamese travel trends, which was conducted in October 2024 and joined by 1,081 respondents from eleven markets including Việt Nam, has shown that 90 per cent of Vietnamese travellers are budgeting at least as much this year for travel as they spent in 2024.
Some 29 per cent of respondents plan on increasing spend this year while 61 per cent have set aside the same amount for their 2025 voyages as they spent last year.
“Despite financial constraints, Vietnamese travellers continue to prioritise meaningful experiences with family and friends over and above other discretionary spend,” said Lâm Vũ, country director of Agoda Vietnam.
“The desire to explore new destinations, both locally and internationally, reflects a growing demand for adventure and value-driven choices.”
About 86 per cent of respondents reported that they planned on taking at least the same number of trips in 2025 as they did in 2024, with only 14 per cent reporting that they are planning to take fewer trips in the year ahead.
Almost 40 per cent of respondents revealed an intention to head abroad in the coming year as Vietnamese travellers continue to spread their wings to new and unexplored territories. And 94 per cent of Vietnamese travellers said 2025 would be the year of the new frontier – with tourists who have outgrown visiting familiar places planning to head to some new destinations, either at home or abroad.
Mirroring Cimigo’s findings about a market seeking budget-friendly options, Vietnamese prove themselves astute value-hunters when it comes to accommodation choices.
Just over half, about 55 per cent, of travellers said that their available budget was one of the primary drivers in their travel decision making, with 64 per cent of respondents looking to spend under $250 per night for their total accommodation. Most travellers, about 88 per cent, would prefer to stay in hotels while other respondents also expressed interest in luxury resorts or boutique accommodations.
Booking.com, another tourism service provider, has identified that for Generation Z, travel is an essential aspect of life. These modern-day travellers prioritise value for money by travelling during off-peak seasons and seek unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences during their trips.
Booking.com found that in 2024, 62 per cent of Vietnamese Gen Z were likely to take a short domestic trip and good value for money was an important destination factor for 52 per cent of these Gen Z travellers.
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| SEEING THE SITES: Tourists visit HCM City Central Post Office in District 1. HCM City’s tourism sector is set to welcome 53.5 million domestic and international visitors, generating a revenue of VNĐ260 trillion in 2025. VNA/VNS Photo |
When it comes to vacations and finances, 62 per cent of Gen Z travellers opted to travel during off-peak season to save money.
About 63 per cent looked for travel discounts through loyalty programmes to save as much as possible.
Thinking about travel budget for 2024, 69 per cent of Gen Z wanted to try one-of-a-kind destination experiences such as skydiving and hot air ballooning.
Tourism revenue of $10.2 bln
HCM City’s tourism sector has set ambitious targets of welcoming 45 million domestic visitors and 8.5 million international tourists, and achieving total tourism revenue of VNĐ260 trillion (US$10.2 billion) in 2025, significant increases compared to 2024.
Speaking at a meeting held in HCM City on December 30 to review the sector’s performance in 2024 and deploy key tasks for 2025, Nguyễn Thị Ánh Hoa, director of the city’s Department of Tourism, highlighted the sector’s positive results in 2024.
The city attracted approximately 6 million foreign visitors and 38 million domestic tourists, up by 20 per cent and 8.6 per cent, respectively, compared to 2023, she said.
Total tourism revenue in 2024 was estimated at VNĐ190 trillion ($7.45 billion), 19 per cent higher than 2023. Both the total number of tourists and tourism revenue met 100 per cent of the 2024 targets, according to Hoa.
Hoa said to achieve the goals set for 2025, the department would research and advise the city authorities on policies to encourage and mobilise resources for tourism development, as well as establish mechanisms and policies for developing the tourism workforce.
The department, she said, would also develop a plan on managing and promoting a shared economy model in the tourism accommodation sector, as well as a medical tourism development plan from now until 2030, with a vision toward 2045.
Additionally, it would continue to implement administrative reforms and digital transformation in management activities to better serve local residents and businesses, she said.
She also said that in 2025, the tourism sector would continue with its publicity campaign “Welcome to Hồ Chí Minh City” with innovative content and in collaboration with domestic and international media outlets, enhancing promotion on online channels, and producing songs and films promoting the city as a global destination.
Policies would also be designed to attract MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourists to the city, and develop green tourism and environmentally responsible tourism, contributing to increase tourism revenue for the city, she said.
Nguyễn Văn Dũng, vice chairman of the city People’s Committee [municipal administration], said that the city’s trade and service sector in 2024 was estimated to grow by 10.7 per cent, with the tourism sector making a significant contribution.
Dũng emphasised that 2025 would hold special significance with numerous activities, including tourism activities. To ensure that tourism would become a spearhead economic sector and a growth driver for the city’s economy, it was essential to effectively implement the Tourism Development Strategy to 2030.
Dũng underscored the need to restructure the tourism sector toward professionalism, modernity, quality and sustainability, and diversify tourism products by leveraging the unique strengths of each locality in the city.
In 2025, the city’s tourism sector needed to accelerate digital transformation in management and business activities, and especially in destination marketing and brand development for the city’s tourism industry, he said.
At the same time, it was essential to implement short-, medium-, and long-term publicity campaigns while combining domestic and international promotion efforts to diversify the tourist market, he added. VNS
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