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Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years, the number of golf courses and golfers in Vietnam has continued to grow strongly. In Vietnam, the resort real estate, aviation, and luxury cruise sectors are all involved in promoting, distributing, or operating this type of high-end tourism.
Post-Covid-19: Wellness tourism, including golf, is on the rise.
The wellness tourism market has grown from $563 billion in 2015 to $919 billion in 2020. Europe and North America have seen a surge in bookings to Asia, driven by demand for relaxation, beauty treatments, and wellness services. In particular, many travelers are seeking opportunities to participate in meditation, yoga, golf, or hot spring baths to rejuvenate both physically and mentally in tranquil rural areas, high mountains, or lesser-known islands.
The wealthy and ultra-wealthy in the Asia-Pacific region, including Vietnam, are very fond of health and wellness tourism at high-end resorts and secluded destinations to minimize the risk of disease transmission. In a 2022 interview, a representative from Remote Lands, a luxury travel company specializing in Asian tours, stated that an interesting characteristic of the wealthy/ultra-wealthy is their loyalty. Instead of rarely contacting the tour operator after trips like ordinary customers, the ultra-wealthy often book tours and services from the same place year after year. They are willing to spend between $25,000 and half a million USD on a single trip.
Golf is considered an essential part of vacation experiences for the wealthy and super-wealthy in Asia. According to Tourism Review News, approximately 5-10% of wealthy Asian travelers prioritize golf as their primary travel goal. Golfers tend to spend more than other groups and generate significant foreign exchange revenue for tourism-dependent countries.
Over the past year, golf has become a favorite sport among Vietnamese beauty queens.
Photo: Instagram
Vietnam is ready to welcome a large number of discerning golfers from around the world.
Previously, golf was often associated with the notion of being a trendy pastime for the wealthy, so the activity was relatively modest and few people experienced it. Today, thanks to rapid economic development and vibrant media coverage, the golf tourism market has boomed, demonstrating its strong appeal for investment and development throughout the country.
Vietnam currently has approximately 100 operational golf courses. Of these, 32 meet international 5-star standards along the coast, adjacent to luxury resorts. Despite the continuous impact of Covid-19, many new golf courses have been opened in destinations such as Quang Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Ha Tinh, and Binh Thuan. FLC Biscom and Vingroup, in particular, have numerous courses in Quang Ninh, Binh Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Hoi An, and Phu Quoc, part of their high-end resort and entertainment complexes.
PGA NovaWorld Phan Thiet Golf Course is the only course in Vietnam licensed by the Professional Golf Association of America (PGA) to host international tournaments within the organization's tournament system.
During the Covid-19 lockdown in 2021, the number of 3D golf courses with a space of approximately 4 to 5 square meters increased.2Golf courses are opening up more frequently in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City to serve both domestic and international tourists stranded in Vietnam. However, data from the Vietnam Golf Association shows that from 2018 to the present, golfers have only accounted for about 0.8% of the total international visitors to Vietnam, a rather modest figure compared to Thailand's 9%. The majority come from South Korea, Japan, and other Southeast Asian countries. The South Korean market alone currently has about 8 million golfers. Many experts predict that golf tourism will become a multi-billion dollar industry and attract three times the number of visitors by 2022 (150,000), after Vietnam reopens to international tourists in mid-March.
Also in 2021, Vietnam was once again honored as"The best golf destination in the world"This award was presented by the World Golf Awards (WGA). This is the second time Vietnam has received this title, after the first time in 2019. Prior to that, Vietnam received the title of best golf destination in Asia for five consecutive years (from 2017 to 2021). In March 2019, Forbes magazine stated that "Vietnam has one of the fastest-growing golf destinations in the world."
Many new resorts quickly opened, catering to the golfing needs of tourists.
Runner-up Huyen My at Thanh Lanh Valley Golf & Resort (Vinh Phuc) - Photo: Instagram of the person
In conclusion
In the coming period, Vietnam will continue to implement more activities and programs to promote golf tourism to attract domestic and international tourists. Now is the time when wealthy businesspeople and global politicians are traveling frequently again, and they want to participate in enjoyable recreational activities such as playing golf with their partners and families to relieve stress and increase productivity. If we do not seize this opportunity in time, we will miss out on tourists to other golf tourism destinations in Asia - this is also the general opinion of many experts in the industry when assessing the golf and resort tourism sector in the current period.
