Portraits of Vietnamese women traveling abroad.

Women's tourism from a global perspective.

The female travel market has become a remarkable phenomenon in recent years, with approximately two-thirds of global travelers being women. Women's travel is prevalent across various age groups and forms, and they travel in a different way compared to men. Furthermore, the trend of women traveling solo or on adventure has become increasingly popular since 2009.

Social media in the 4.0 era has become a powerful tool, providing valuable information and encouraging women's active participation in tourism. The number of travel companies established specifically to serve women has reached 230%, and women are expected to spend $125 billion on travel in 2020 – the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many popular travel websites such as Women On The Road, Journey Woman, and Women Traveling Together have been operating strongly for many years, aiming to provide information to primarily female travelers globally.

The majority of women who regularly participate in tourism are successful professionals. They lead busy lives and seek spiritual fulfillment through travel. Unlike men, women who travel contribute more to the local economy through shopping. It is expected that in the coming period...new normalFemale tourists continue to be an important group contributing to the growth of tourism revenue and creating new trends.

The segment of Vietnamese female tourists traveling abroad is growing stronger.

Today, Vietnamese female tourists have more opportunities to travel abroad than previous generations. Looking back at 2018, Vietnamese people made over 8.6 million trips abroad, with approximately 50% being women. Compared to other countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam ranks second after Myanmar in terms of outbound tourism growth rate, at 9.5% and 10% respectively.

The increasing size of the outbound tourism market is driven by a vibrant aviation industry, connecting Vietnam with many other attractive destinations around the world. The number of routes and aircraft is growing rapidly from domestic and international airlines, particularly in the low-cost airline and hybrid airline segments.

Portrait of a Vietnamese female tourist traveling abroad.

Vietnamese female tourists can easily find information and book travel services and products quickly and affordably through online travel platforms. Along with relaxed visa policies at many international destinations, this has supported increasingly free and convenient overseas travel. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, a large number of female tourists chose popular destinations in Southeast Asia. Among them, the most popular destinations included Thailand (Bangkok, Chiangmai) and Indonesia (Bali). Other popular destinations in Northeast Asia included South Korea (Seoul, Busan), Japan (Tokyo, Osaka), and Taiwan (Taipei, Kaohsiung). However, in early 2022, when given the choice of overseas travel, most high-income Vietnamese women, mainly aged 25 to 40, readily chose to travel to Dubai, Europe, and the West Coast of the United States. Nearly half opted for all-inclusive tours, while the rest chose to book services separately and explore independently.

Prior to the pandemic, the growth in the market share of female travelers going abroad was primarily driven by the cost of travel (airfare, tours, and destination expenses) and the liberal visa policies at the destination. Now, their biggest concerns are passport and vaccine policies and procedures for handling cases of COVID-19 infection before or during their trip.

The two-year pandemic has also prompted female travelers to re-evaluate what truly matters in life. They've changed their behavior and lifestyles, prioritizing financial management and saving, spending time with family and friends, taking better care of themselves, and embracing a spirit of "rewarding themselves." Instead of focusing on "check-ins" and "shopping" as before, wealthier and higher-status female travelers are increasingly seeking and desiring healing tourism experiences at renowned high-end resorts in secluded mountain and coastal areas abroad. Furthermore, many female travelers are becoming more aware of the impact their travels have on the local environment and culture. They are taking responsibility for sustainable tourism in various ways, such as reducing waste, purchasing vegan products, and researching and immersing themselves in the local culture beforehand.

For middle-aged female travelers who began to familiarize themselves with digital technology – due to the pandemic – they are now actively using digital technology for all their activities, including travel. They no longer need to visit traditional travel offices and agencies as they did before 2019. The pandemic has fueled the trend of purchasing tours through live commerce from travel companies and online travel platforms. Most female travelers, both independent and tour groups, choose to search for, research, and make travel decisions based on information from social media (Facebook, Instagram, Zalo...). In addition, short films and articles from travel bloggers and travel influencers on YouTube are also attracting more attention from Vietnamese female travelers, instead of relying on TripAdvisor like women in other countries.

In conclusion

It's undeniable that Vietnamese women are becoming increasingly independent, taking more control of their lives, and desiring more enjoyment. Furthermore, to avoid dependence and waiting,Many women choose to travel alone.(Solo female travel) or small group travel abroad. Currently, this trend shows no signs of slowing down.

Now, the market share of Vietnamese female travelers going abroad is expanding thanks to the development of digital technology, which makes it easier and more convenient for them to plan and book their trips. The remaining question is whether travel companies and online travel platforms are ready to invest in unique products and services to capture this segment.

References

1. Condor Ferries Ltd. (2020). Female Travel Statistics 2020. Accessed from: https://www.condorferries.co.uk/female- travel- statistics

2. Choong D, Wong YH. (2016). Mastercard future of outbound travel in Asia Pacific (2016 to 2021). Retrieved from: https://newsroom.mastercard.com/asia- pacific/files/2017/01/ Mastercard- Future- of- Outbound- Travel- Report- 2016- 2021- Asia-Pacific1.pdf

3. Google. (2022). Vietnam's Search for Tomorrow. Think with Google. Vietnam.

4. Vietjet Air. (2018). Annual Report 2018. Accessed from: https://ir.vietjetair.com/Home/Menu/annual-reports

Minh Hieu