Market measurement before peak season
The Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2026 has just closed with more than 90,000 visitors and revenue of over 195 billion VND, showing a strong recovery and development picture of the tourism industry.
Mr. Nguyen Hong Hai - Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association said that VITM 2026 is an opportunity for businesses to both trade products and grasp market demand and trends.
Mr. Pham Van Bay - Director of Vietravel Retail Center in the North - said: "In 4 days of the fair, we recorded about 1,800 registered customers, achieving revenue of more than 30 billion VND. The proportion of outbound customers accounts for 55%, domestic accounts for 45%, showing that the demand for going abroad is dominant, but domestic tourism still plays an important role.
Mr. Bay assessed that the most attractive product group is sea tourism comboes by air: "4-day 3-night packages to Quy Nhon, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang are of great interest to customers thanks to discounts of up to 20%, suitable for the summer travel needs of families. In addition, high-end products such as the Signature line - 5-star resort resorts with unique experiences also have a certain number of bookings, mainly small groups from 2-4 people".
Vietluxtour recorded positive results in all three markets: outbound, domestic and inbound. Ms. Tran Bao Thu - Marketing and Communications Director - informed that although transportation costs increased, the customer conversion rate at booths was still good, especially in the last two days.
In the outbound market, short-day Asian tours such as Thailand, China, Korea, Taiwan (China), Singapore - Malaysia continue to dominate, revenue increased by about 15% compared to the previous year. The prominent trend is 4-6 day trips, optimizing costs but still ensuring experience.
With the domestic market, the attractiveness remains stable, focusing on three main lines: Sea tourism - resort, culture - history and green tourism. These products are both suitable for peak seasons and meet the increasingly diverse experience needs.
Prioritize experience, personalization for the April 30 - May 1 holiday
Not only reflecting purchasing power, VITM 2026 also shows a clear shift in tourism behavior on January 30 - May 1 and summer. Customers are gradually abandoning the criteria of cheap prices, prioritizing suitable products and quality experiences.
Mr. Bui Thanh Tu - Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel - said that more than 60% of customers visiting the unit's booth are interested in personalized products and "No Shopping" tours (no shopping. Service bookings and on-site deposits doubled compared to the previous period, revenue increased about 1.2 times.
Customers appreciate having more time to experience, transparent costs and not being bound by shopping. This is a clear signal that expectations have changed, when customers no longer prioritize cheap tours but choose suitable products, worthy experiences" - Mr. Tu said.
According to Mr. Tu, the trend of personalization is increasingly clear. Customers are looking for flexible routes according to budget and time, prioritizing "tailor-made" experiences instead of mass tours. Self-sufficient Japan tours, high-end Australia tours combined with yachts or custom-designed European tours are attracting strongly, showing that personalization is gradually becoming a new standard.
Ms. Tran Bao Thu added: "The free & easy trend and small group travel account for about 15% at VITM 2026, showing that customers are increasingly prioritizing flexibility and proactiveness on their journeys. The market is shifting from mass tourism to selective and responsible tourism.
Near destinations in Asia such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, South Korea, and Japan continue to prevail thanks to fast travel and reasonable costs; while long-distance and long-day routes tend to decrease.
Many tourists choose near trips, self-driving or traveling by train or bus, combined with resorts in accommodation areas with synchronous services. This trend shows a shift towards cost optimization but not trading for the quality of the experience.
Mr. Pham Van Bay informed that green tourism products, cultural experiences and health care are also receiving clear attention. The demand for "tourism to recover" is gradually replacing the purpose of "tourism to check-in", especially among middle and high-end customers.
It can be seen that tourism demand during January 30 - May 1 and summer continues to shift strongly. Businesses must be flexible, personalize products and improve supply quality.
