“Vegan” is a healthy lifestyle
In fact, many people think that veganism is a somewhat restrictive diet and that people miss out on many delicious dishes made from meat, eggs and seafood. Some dishes are even local specialties with unique ways of enjoying them such as foie gras, Brazilian Steak, Sashimi or Dimsum.
However, vegans believe that in addition to the taste experience, creating a positive impact on the planet and reducing the greenhouse effect is the top factor they aim for. They can explore and create countless dishes from vegetables, grains, and fruits that are not only great for the taste buds but also good for mental health. Not only limited to eating, people who pursue a vegan lifestyle limit the use of cosmetics, fashion products tested on animals, animal ingredients, or entertainment related to the exploitation of animal power.
Many people choose a vegan lifestyle because it is healthy for themselves and friendly to the natural environment.
In Asia, the religious vegan lifestyle is even more evident as there are hundreds of millions of Buddhists living here, most populous in Thailand, China, Laos, Bhutan, Tibet, and Vietnam. For that reason, the trend of vegan tourism and pilgrimage in these countries has long been closely linked and is still popular today.
Vegan tourism emerges amid prolonged Covid-19 pandemic
Vegan tourism has become increasingly popular as the number of people adopting a healthy diet has increased significantly in many countries. However, many vegans report that they often encounter difficulties in accommodation, lack of suitable meal options, and lack of suitable entertainment during their trips or holidays. Whether traveling domestically or abroad, language barriers and local cultural differences can exacerbate these problems.
Nowadays, when the problems of the Covid-19 pandemic, political riots, economic recession, extreme natural disasters... occur continuously, it has significantly affected the awareness and actions of tourists. Healthy people who responded to a survey conducted by the charity Veganuary in July 2020 admitted that the connection between the organic farming industry and the Covid-19 pandemic contributed to their decision to consume more vegan food. The majority of people consider the vegan lifestyle as one of the top solutions to cope with the external crisis and the psychological illnesses hidden in their minds.
Vegan tourism is associated with many wellness experiences such as yoga, meditation, excursions,... or SUP.
According to forecasts, the vegan tourism trend is ready for a new wave of growth when people start traveling again. At the same time, the momentum from modern technology and digital has opened up many favorable opportunities to promote the vegan tourism trend globally, through many social media platforms, news sites and travel companies.
Veggie Hotels- The world's first vegan hotel association was launched in 2011, providing a platform to connect vegans and travel providers worldwide. Today, Veggie Hotels is present in over 60 countries, offering a full range of experiences from a cozy vegan bed and breakfast in the mountains to a stylish yoga retreat on the beach, to vegan workshops held in some of the most desirable destinations. Even,Veg Visitsalso shares accommodation space for vegans traveling alone or in small groups. The platform has the participation of many vegan apartment owners around the world who are willing to share cultural knowledge and guide guests on how to prepare local vegetarian dishes.
To provide a great travel experience, the travel agencyVegan Surf Campspecializes in providing service packages and separate travel plans for the vegan lifestyle segment, including hotels, restaurants, yoga courses and surfing. According toResponsible Travel, the number of bookings for their vegan travel holidays has more than doubled in recent years, specifically increasing 120% from 2016 to 2019 and early 2021. The rest, the travel companyVegan Real Food AdventuresIt is believed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a boom in veganism and a number of vegan tourists looking for tours to India, Thailand and Italy.
Looking back at the vegan tourism trend in Vietnam
Before the pandemic, Vietnamese tourists were more interested in clean eating and great ways and vacations to stay healthy. The outbreak of the pandemic has created more motivation, the desire for a healthy life has become more important to Vietnamese people. According to a report from Google, in late 2020, the demand for "travel" and "health care" was researched by Vietnamese users online by 78% and 50%, respectively. Particularly in the need to search for health care topics, users increased the time spent on healthy diet categories by up to 62%, including organic foods, keto diets, vegan diets... regardless of how high the prices were. At the same time, they also began to be interested in travel programs about isolated vacation trends, eating and shopping for vegan products with interesting activities during the trip such as trekking, SUP or meditation and yoga courses.
Inside an eco-friendly resort in Con Dao, Vietnam.
The remaining localities will be suitable choices for international tourists following the vegan lifestyle such as Yen Tu, Tay Bac, Con Dao or Da Lat. However, in addition to a menu with many delicious vegetarian dishes or swimming and climbing in beautiful resorts, tourists need more than other accompanying service packages such as meditation courses, yoga, surfing and adventure experiences led by guides who also pursue and truly understand the vegan lifestyle.
Mid-2021,Hum Vegetarian– a vegan restaurant in Saigon has been listed in the list of 25 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in the world, ranked 10th by Tripadvisor. This can be seen as a good sign of the increase in the domestic and international vegan tourist segment for Vietnam in the context of the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic.
