Prioritize vacations that are both resort and exercise
Recently, instead of just looking for accommodation with beautiful scenery or swimming pools, many tourists today prioritize choosing accommodation facilities integrated with sports facilities such as pickleball courts, gyms, outdoor exercise areas or yoga classes. This contributes to promoting the trend of tourism combined with exercise becoming increasingly popular.
During her summer vacation in Da Nang, Ms. Mai Huyen Anh (28 years old, Hanoi) chose a homestay with a pickleball court instead of just paying attention to the landscape or room rates.
According to Ms. Huyen Anh, being able to play sports with friends right in the campus makes the trip more interesting and meaningful.
Previously, traveling was mainly for rest, but now I want to relax and exercise. After playing pickleball in the morning, I feel my body is healthy and I have a lot of energy to explore the destination," Ms. Huyen Anh shared.
Similarly, Mr. Tran Quoc Huy (35 years old, Hanoi) said that when booking a room for his family in Phu Quoc, he prioritized resorts with gyms and sports areas.
The sports area helps the children have places to play, and the gym helps my husband and I still maintain our training habits. The whole family has their own activities, so the vacation is also more complete," Mr. Quoc Huy said.
Sports amenities create a competitive advantage for accommodation establishments
Discussing this trend, according to Mr. Bui Thanh Tu - Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel Company - tourism combined with sports is becoming a clear trend when tourists not only want to relax but also want to maintain a dynamic lifestyle during their vacation.
This trend comes from the increasing demand for health care and mental balance after the pandemic and the popularity of accessible sports such as pickleball.
Tourists now not only go on vacation for sightseeing or relaxation but also want to maintain exercise habits. Therefore, facilities such as pickleball courts, gyms, yoga or outdoor training areas are increasingly important in the accommodation experience," said Mr. Bui Thanh Tu.
Instead of just caring about where to go, tourists today pay more attention to what they experience there. Facilities with pickleball courts, yoga classes or internal training areas will create a more worthwhile feeling than regular accommodation.
In the context of basic services between accommodation establishments being quite similar, sports amenities help create a clear difference, while prolonging the stay of tourists," Mr. Bui Thanh Tu analyzed.
According to Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, Vietnam has many advantages to develop this model thanks to a diverse destination system such as Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Ha Long, Da Lat or Sa Pa,... However, accommodation establishments need to clearly identify target groups of guests to invest appropriately, avoiding following trends.
Not all models are the same. Family resorts, luxury resorts or suburban resorts all need to have different utility designs, associated with the actual needs of each customer group," said Mr. Bui Thanh Tu.
Operating factors, safety and accompanying services play a decisive role in developing the sports tourism model sustainably.
If only investing in facilities without management, trainers, ensuring safety and maintenance, the experience will be difficult to maintain for a long time. Sports tourism needs to be seen as part of a product strategy, not just a supplementary utility," he emphasized.
