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In recent years, healing tourism has increasingly attracted the attention of travelers, especially young people aged 23 to 32. Instead of bustling and crowded destinations, they choose places with peaceful natural landscapes such as Ha Giang, Sa Pa, Ninh Binh… or countries like China, South Korea, Japan… to seek peace and balance in their souls.
One of the main reasons young people are drawn to this trend is the increasing pressure of work, which makes them crave relief and relaxation. Traveling helps them temporarily set aside their worries, immerse themselves in nature, breathe fresh air, and thus regenerate energy and balance their emotions.
Traveling helps them set aside their worries, immerse themselves in nature, breathe fresh air, and thereby regenerate energy and balance their emotions.
In addition, tourists tend to seek out tranquil places to refresh themselves and embrace more positive values. They desire to experience simple things, be close to nature, and thereby discover themselves and find joy in life.
With this type of travel, booking tours or hiring guides is usually unnecessary. Travelers often choose independent travel so they can freely explore according to their interests and fully enjoy the feeling of "slow living."
Tourists often choose independent travel so they can freely explore according to their interests and fully enjoy the feeling of "slow living".
Independent travel is becoming a popular trend.
For the past three months, Ngoc Trang (a tourist from Hanoi) and her friends have been planning a self-guided trip to South Korea during their summer vacation. Instead of opting for the convenience of package tours, Ngoc Trang decided to explore and experience South Korea in her own way.
Sharing her reasons for choosing independent travel, Ngoc Trang said: “Previously, when traveling abroad, I often chose to book all-inclusive tours to receive full guidance and support. However, this method of travel has some limitations that I am not really satisfied with.”
Firstly, the itineraries provided by travel companies don't always suit my preferences. Often, the pre-arranged attractions and activities leave me with few opportunities to freely explore places I love or experience activities I desire.
Secondly, the limited time for sightseeing often makes me feel rushed and unable to fully enjoy the trip. Instead of leisurely exploring each location, I have to constantly move around to complete the scheduled itinerary.”
Instead of opting for the convenience of package tours, Ngoc Trang decided to explore and experience South Korea on her own, in her own way.
As a girl passionate about exploration and new experiences, Phuong Thao (a tourist from Hanoi) decided to plan her summer trip to Sa Pa with her friends. Phuong Thao believes that independent travel will give her unique experiences and save her money compared to package tours.
“Last year, I went on a tour but didn't get the experience I wanted. Although I carefully considered everything and received thorough advice before booking, I felt quite constrained by the itinerary when I actually went. Therefore, after discussing with friends, we decided to travel independently this year without booking a tour so we could freely explore according to our own preferences. After working hard all year and saving up for a trip, I just want to be able to freely explore new places and experience local culture authentically. I believe that independent travel will help us achieve that,” Phương Thảo said.
Phuong Thao decided to plan her summer trip to Sa Pa with her friends.
Planning is made easier thanks to social media.
Through social media, Ngoc Trang easily found attractive places to visit and eat that fit her budget in South Korea. “We did thorough research on South Korean tourism. The visa policies and public transportation to attractions were quite convenient, making it easy for our group to decide on a self-guided trip,” Ngoc Trang shared.
Through social media, Ngoc Trang easily found attractive places to visit and eat that fit her budget in South Korea.
Furthermore, Ngoc Trang and her friends proactively "hunted" for plane tickets and accommodation months in advance to get the best prices. Instead of choosing luxurious hotels in the city center, they opted for homestays to save costs. They also chose public transportation such as the subway and buses to save money compared to taxis.
By booking services themselves and checking prices online via social media, she could easily compare prices from different providers, thus choosing the best deal for her. Additionally, many travel websites frequently offer attractive discount codes and promotions. Thanks to this, the whole group could make the most of their time, save money, and fully enjoy their trip.
By booking services herself and checking prices online via social media, she can easily compare prices from different service providers, thereby choosing the best price for herself.
In addition, social media is an extremely useful source of information thanks to review videos about restaurants and entertainment venues. They can also refer to valuable travel experiences from previous travelers, thereby planning their trips more effectively.
According to Phuong Thao, social media is a treasure trove of valuable information that helps her plan perfect self-guided trips. Thanks to the development of review groups and travel blogs, Phuong Thao can easily find experiences, tips, and things to do and not to do to have a safe, fun, and memorable vacation.
Social media is an incredibly useful source of information thanks to review videos about restaurants and entertainment venues.
“Our group usually consults information from many different sources, from reputable travel websites to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok… Although it takes time to compare and choose suitable locations, in return, we have the freedom to explore as we like, experience new things, and create unique memories for ourselves,” Phuong Thao said.
Travelers can refer to valuable travel experiences from previous travelers to plan their trips effectively.
