Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong remarked that Australia is a promising and potential source market for Vietnam’s tourism.
In 2023, Australia was the 9th largest source market sending tourists to Vietnam. In the first two months of 2024, the number of Australian tourists to Vietnam reached 97,500, equal to 25% of the total number from this market in the entire year of 2023, ranking sixth after South Korea, China, Taiwan, the United States, and Japan.
“In 2023, Vietnam’s tourism industry witnessed recovery by welcoming 12.6 million international visitors. Although Australian visitors accounted for only 3%, they are an important and promising source, with a tendency for long stays and high spending,” said Ho An Phong, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism during a tourism dialogue between Vietnamese and Australian businesses.
Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, also stated that tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Australia has many development opportunities, especially after the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and established more direct flights connecting major cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Adelaide.
Vietnam tourism is increasingly of interest to international tourists, including Australian tourists. Photo: Mr. Nguyen
Darrell Wade, Chairman of the world’s leading adventure travel company, Intrepid Travel, mentioned that Vietnam’s tourism is increasingly attracting international tourists, including Australians. The number of international tourists this company brought to Vietnam in 2023 has recovered, surpassing the 2019 level.
According to Darrell Wade, besides the natural beauty, Vietnam is emerging as a diverse experiential destination for Australian tourists, prompting Intrepid to research and develop more cultural and culinary tours in addition to adventure tourism.
He also emphasized that a plus point of Vietnamese tourism is its significantly lower costs compared to other destinations, yet still offering special value to tourists, creating competitiveness.
Vietnam is forecasted to be a favorite destination for Australian tourists in 2024. The number of Australian tourists traveling internationally has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, down by 14% compared to 2019. However, the number of Australian tourists to Vietnam in 2023 reached 390,000, exceeding the 383,000 in 2019.
Ho Chi Minh City is among the top 10 most sought-after destinations for Australian tourists, with nearly 2.5 times increase within this year, according to a report from the online travel platform Skyscanner in November 2023.
Australian tourism businesses express expectations for Vietnam’s tourism industry to continue improving service quality to attract international visitors, alongside developing green and sustainable tourism. These businesses also hope Vietnam will consider visa waivers for Australian tourists to enhance attractiveness and competitiveness.
@Vietnamnet