Southern localities make efforts to diversify tourism products in ‘new normal’
The tourism sectors of southern provinces and cities are exerting efforts to reform and diversify products to attract visitors while ensuring safety in the ‘new normal’, as the 2022 New Year and traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays approach.
HCM City (VNA) – The tourism sectors of southern provinces and cities are exerting efforts to reform and diversify products to attract visitors while ensuring safety in the ‘new normal’, as the 2022 New Year and traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays approach.
Numerous travel companies and tourist destinations have resumed on-the-spot tours and multi-day ones to northwestern and central localities, together with those in Vietnam’s southwest coastal areas like Phu Quoc and Ha Tien of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.
A representative of Saigontourist said that it has designed various tourism products to meet demand of customers in different market segments, ranging from programmes serving small groups of family members and friends to those of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism.
The tourism programmes have been carried out in a flexible manner in open space with preventive measures being in place.
In December, more than 1,200 tourists of 14 delegations registered to participate in Saigontourist’s MICE tourism programmes in Ha Long of the northern province of Quang Ninh; Da Nang and Quy Nhon of Binh Dinh in the central region; and Ben Tre, HCM City and Phu Quoc in the south.
General Dirꦏector of Vinpearl Nguyen Thu Phuong said the success in welcoming nearly 200 tourists from the Republic of ꦗKorea to Phu Quoc in late November helped bolster the hospitality-recreation developer and operator’s confidence in rolling out new products for domestic and foreign holidaymakers.
Foreign tourists ride bicycles to tour Can Gio district of HCM City (Photo: VNA)
Director of HCM City Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said the southern economic hub is home to more than 360 tourist attractions, including top natural and cultural heritage sites in Vietnam and the region.
In addition to existing tourism product🔜s favoured by tourists, HCM City authorities are working to develop other types, namely culinary tourism, shopping tourism, waterway tourism, eco-tourism and medical touri✤sm to attract visitors in the ‘new normal’./.
The 17th Tourism Festival of Ho Chi Minh City kicked off on December 4, expected to help warm up the travel sector in this southern economic hub and Vietnam as a whole.
Ho Chi Minh City has actively applied technology and digital platforms to promote tourism, introduce safe destinations to tourists and create favourable conditions for tourism businesses to operate in a secure and flexible manner during the pandemic.
After a long hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam has piloted welcoming foreign visitors back to several key tourist areas. Safety for tourists, travel businesses and destinations has always received top priority, thus helping boost the tourism industry’s recovery and development.
Ho Chi Minh City launched the first tourism week named “Ho Chi Minh City – The city I love” on December 24, aiming to spread pride and love of the city among people, and encourage both domestic and international tourists to visit the city.
The first and only direct service connecting the two countries at the moment is set to operate three times per week using the modern wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
Mu Cang Chai is home to nearly 83,000 hectares of forest, including almost 60,000 hectares of unspoiled natural woodland. Recognising this potential, local authorities have embraced a holistic strategy that protects biodiversity while promoting tourism.
Phu Quoc ranks among the top 10 leading tourist islands in Asia. As the largest island in Vietnam, it boasts stunning natural beauty, with expansive coral reefs resting beneath the sea and a number of beautiful, poetic beaches such as Sao, Truong, and Khem, known for their fine white sand and crystal-clear waters.
Vietnam's national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet are among the exhibitors, promoting key destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Phu Quoc, as well as distinctive tourism products.
Alexander Musikhin, Vice President of ATOR and CEO of the Intourist travel agency, highlighted Vietnam as a top destination offering a unique blend of beach holidays and cultural excursions.
According to Seoul’s Tourism Industry Department, approximately 20,000 Vietnamese visitors travel to the city each year for medical treatment. Vietnam consistently ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest number of medical tourists to Seoul.
An analysis of accommodation search data based on check-in dates for June and July revealed that Nha Trang surpassed all other destinations in popularity among Korean users.
The programme is organised by the Khanh Hoa provincial Youth Union and the “Khanh Hoa people speak English” Project, and aims to promote the culture, history, cuisine and other tourism products of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa to international visitors.
VNAT Director General Nguyen Trung Khanh called visa a golden ticket to pulling in crowds, but he is clear that it needs coordinated efforts across multiple sectors to keep the momentum going in this fast-moving global travel scene.
As a tourism hub, Hanoi is now actively developing strategies to attract Muslim travellers. In recent years, the city has seen a notable uptick in visitors from countries with large Muslim populations.
When tourists witness firsthand the passion and care of farmers, they’re willing to pay higher prices because they see the genuine worth behind every product.
During the first five months, China continued to be Vietnam's largest source market of tourists, followed by the RoK, China’s Taiwan, the US, and Japan.
After more than three months of operation, the popularity of the free tours in Bac Ninh province shows no signs of cooling down. Many tourists return every week in hopes of experiencing all the tours and visiting every destination.
Typical products of Phu Tho are being showcased at the Lao Cai International Travel Mart 2025, held in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai from June 5-8.
Featuring 130 stalls and delegations from 120 travel agencies representing more than ten countries and territories, the event is expected to provide a platform for establishing partnerships and attracting more visitors to Lao Cai in the future.
Kicking off the festival on the evening of June 7 will be the grand music concert titled “Nha Trang Say Hi”, featuring popular artists from the trending show “Anh Trai Say Hi”. The event will be broadcast live nationwide and conclude with a fireworks display over Nha Trang Bay.
Data from Booking.com reveals that during the peak summer vacation in June and July, beach trips continue to be a top priority for Vietnamese travellers.
The northern midland province of Phu Tho has carried out all-round measures to improve tourism infrastructure, services, and offerings, elevating visitor experience and reinforcing the province’s unique cultural identity.
Hanoi has directed lodging providers and tourist destinations to bolster preparations in staffing, service quality, security, and sanitation. Community-based lodging platforms such as Airbnb are also being promoted strongly to expand housing supply during the holiday period.
Hop on-hop off bus in HCM City (Photo: VNA)
Foreign tourists ride bicycles to tour Can Gio district of HCM City (Photo: VNA)
