This summer, the trend of travel combined with sports is increasingly chosen by many young people. Instead of just relaxing, they prioritize motorized trips to both explore nature, practice health and refresh experiences.
If previously each family trip was often associated with relaxation, now Ms. Bui My Linh (26 years old, Hanoi) prioritizes journeys combining activities such as SUP paddleboarding, trekking (long-distance, long-day walking) or hiking (long-distance, short-day walking).
According to Ms. Linh, these trips not only bring many new experiences but also help herself feel healthy, close to nature and regenerate energy after each journey.
Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Manh Huy (24 years old, Hanoi) also regularly plans trekking with friends during vacations. For him, combining tourism and sports stems from his love of exercise as well as the desire to conquer new routes.
If you proactively plan and balance costs reasonably, tourism combined with sports is not much more expensive than regular resort trips," Mr. Huy said.
According to travel businesses, this trend reflects changes in the needs of tourists. Instead of just looking for a beautiful trip, many people want to have personal experiences.
From participating in a marathon, conquering the trekking circuit, playing golf combined with resorts to tours to cheer for international sports events, each journey brings a feeling of being challenged, connecting the community and preserving memorable stories.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Luu Thuy Dung - Deputy Director of Vietravel Retail Center in the North - said that if viewed from the current market demand, tourism combined with sports is standing out in the group of products associated with major events, typically the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the US recently.
According to Ms. Dung, this is a product line that has received clear attention this summer when combining football cheering, exploring the United States and experiencing the atmosphere of a global sports festival.
After the World Cup, trekking and nature exploration are activities that are of interest to many visitors. Destinations such as Sa Pa, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Mu Cang Chai, Hoang Su Phi, Ta Xua... are attractive to young customers, groups of friends, office workers and businesses organizing programs to connect teams thanks to the factor of mobility, conquering routes and exploring indigenous culture," Ms. Dung said.
In addition, resort products combining golf or pickleball also have a lot of room for development in Ha Long, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Da Lat and Quy Nhon.
To meet the changes in tourist demand, Ms. Dung said that the unit has restructured the product in the direction of integrating two important criteria: LEI (Life Experience Index) and ESG (Responsible Tourism).
In which, LEI aims to increase the value of experience for tourists through dynamic, discovery, engagement and enrichment of personal emotions activities. ESG helps businesses pay more attention to sustainable development, responsibility to the environment, local communities and service quality in each journey.
