Vietnam, Top Destination for Asia Pacific Travelers

Vietnam, Top Destination for Asia Pacific Travelers
Beach resort Hoi An, Vietnam

Beach resort Hoi An, Vietnam

Vietnam’s pristine scenery, with unique landscapes, its affordability and the impression it gives travelers that is a new, never before seen destination, filled with off-the-beaten-path attraction is what makes this country most attractive for tourists from the Asia Pacific region. According to a Nielsen online survey conducted in May 2010 and made public yesterday, Vietnam is the top travel destination for the next two years for tourists coming from Thailand, Australia, Japan and Singapore alike.

Speaking in percentages, the survey showed that among those overwhelming numbers of travelers wanting to visit Vietnam, 17% were from Thailand, 16% from Australia, and 11% from Japan and Singapore. Over 6000 respondents from 13 different travel markets have taken the survey, sharing details about past and present future plans. The 13 target markets were Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, mainland China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, The Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK and the US.

The profile of the average Vietnam visitor was also revealed by the survey – 18 or older, has travelled internationally before for holidays and plans to do so again, Internet user that favors credit card payments, likely to be single and showing a preference for four-star hotels, with an average vacation budget of 1,200 USD and willing to spend more on good food or to experience new cultures, stays for 3 to 5 days on average. Not a shabby travel spending forecast for Vietnam!

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said they will play their part in helping to attract more tourists to Vietnam – they are planning big investments in infrastructure remodeling, tour guide training, service quality improvement and environmental protection.

Vietnam welcomed 4.2 million foreign visitors in the first 10 months of 2010, up 40 percent against the same period last year and Vietnam posted one of the highest tourist growth rates in the region,” said Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy Director General of VNAT. With an estimated 420,000-450,000 inbound tourists expected each month in November and December, it is completely possible for the tourism industry to reach 5 million by the end of the year, 1.2 million higher than last year.