Where are most Vietnamese tourists going this September 2nd holiday?

These habits have influenced the choice of travel destinations for Vietnamese tourists during this year's September 2nd holiday.

Booking data from Booking.com shows that beaches and coastal cities continue to be the top choice for Vietnamese travelers (61%), followed by major cities (60%).

This is reflected in the list of the top 10 most searched destinations for upcoming holidays, with 6 out of 10 being leading coastal cities in Vietnam.

Accordingly, the top 10 most searched domestic destinations by Vietnamese tourists from September 2nd to 4th, 2023, ranked in terms of tourist preference, are: Da Nang, Vung Tau, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne, Hanoi, Ha Long, Phu Quoc, and Hoi An.

For their end-of-year long holiday trips abroad, Vietnamese travelers tend to choose nearby international destinations such as Thailand and Singapore. Following those, they may move on to Seoul (South Korea), Taipei (Taiwan), Hong Kong, Tokyo (Japan), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and Australia.

Varun Grover, Country Director of Booking.com in Vietnam, said that looking at destination choices, Vietnamese tourists are showing a greater-than-normal demand for "staycations," meaning travel near or within their city of residence. Secondly, they are interested in "drivecations" (traveling by car and staying in the car) to destinations that are not too far away.

This result is also consistent with the situation regarding tour bookings through travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City. This year's holiday season will continue to be challenging for destinations like Ha Long and Phu Quoc, which were very popular last season but are now becoming less attractive due to a lack of new products.

Ms. Pham Phuong Anh, General Director of Viet Travel Company, said that there is a growing trend of traveling in groups of friends and family during the September 2nd holiday thanks to the fact that airfares for domestic routes are no longer too high.

The habit of booking tours close to the departure date also impacts the number of available airline tickets and domestic tour slots. However, travelers still prefer self-driving or destinations close to their homes rather than distant ones. Most travelers choose short-day beach and island tours, staying in hotels, etc.

Purchasing power hasn't surged dramatically, so room prices have only been high in some "hot spots," while prices for other services remain relatively stable.

The study, commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted by Milieu Insight, involved a sample of 8,800 respondents across 11 countries and territories in APAC (800 from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam). Respondents were required to be 18 years of age or older to participate.

The study calculated the index based on specific metrics such as willingness to travel, potential travel spending, duration, number of planned trips, and notably, travel trends within the current macroeconomic context.

Other areas explored by the research include travel and booking considerations, sustainability perspectives, and other market-specific questions.