It can be said that 2024 is an explosive year for the Vietnamese tourism industry when welcoming many international visitors from the super-rich, billionaire, billionaire from the US, India... According to you, since when has the story of welcoming tourists from the elite become a hot topic?
- Since 2011, many famous people, billionaires and billionaires have traveled to Vietnam. Becoming an attractive destination for the super-rich is the desire of many Vietnamese tourism businesses.
The event of Mark Zuckerberg - CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook) and his fiancee Priscilla Chan traveling to Vietnam for the first time at the end of 2011 can be considered an important milestone. This event was also reported by the press, making many people curious and excited, hoping that Vietnam will be an attractive destination for the super-rich.
Welcoming super-rich guests is not a simple story. In your opinion, what do the super-rich need when traveling?
- The super-rich often have high and special requirements when traveling to ensure a memorable and comfortable experience. They need luxurious accommodation, personalized services such as personal management and chefs, tight security, unique experiences, high-end cuisine, shopping at luxury and sustainable fashion stores. All of these factors help ensure they have a great trip and fully meet their needs.
In addition to the above requirements, the super-rich also want flexibility and high security, luxury means of transportation such as private jets, high-class sports and entertainment activities, art and cultural exploration, social network connection, learning experiences and personal development. These requirements ensure them a perfect trip and fully meet all personal wishes.
What factors should be prioritized when welcoming super-rich guests? How has Vietnam met this requirement?
- Recall the trip of Mr. Mark Zuckerberg and his fiancee to Vietnam, where they explored Hanoi, Sa Pa and Ha Long. Their journey was accompanied by a manager and 5 bodyguards. This CEO's package tour was organized by come and Go Vietnam Company of Ms. Nhung Tran in collaboration with a partner in New York (USA). During the trip, they used the services of destinations such as Topas Ecolodge Resort in Sa Pa and tourist boats in Ha Long.
According to the service agreement, Mr. Mark Zuckerberg requested absolute information security. Although the travel company has committed to strictly implementing this request, local partners have failed to keep the information confidential and disclose it publicly. This makes guests feel uncomfortable and dissatisfied. Thus, it is possible that due to too much excitement, local partners could not maintain the required confidentiality.
Recently, billionaire Bill Gates traveled to Da Nang and Hoi An with his girlfriend. His journey was closely followed by the media, he even had to cancel a dinner at a booked restaurant in Hoi An due to concerns about information security and excessive public attention. This affects their experience. For this reason, Mr. Bill Gates' trip was also shortened compared to the original plan.
Surely, super-rich guests who have spent a large sum of money on their trip deserve to enjoy private space and equivalent high-class services. They are not obliged to promote tourism for their destinations, because their goal is to experience and enjoy their vacations. If we want them to post on social networks or promote the destination, it is best to negotiate and invite them officially. However, I don't think this is feasible, because it's not what they want.
In addition to fully meeting the requirements of the super-rich, professionalism in all stages will make their trip more unique and memorable. When they are satisfied with their trip, they will naturally introduce it to friends and even post on social media about their experience. This helps promote destinations strongly, without having to pay or negotiate with them.
So what should the Vietnamese tourism industry do to attract the super-rich?
- The group of super-rich tourists often book package tours with familiar travel companies, specializing in organizing annual activities for individuals and their families. These companies will look for unique destinations in the world to introduce to customers and choose service package operators in the country where customers will travel.
Therefore, to attract super-rich customers, tourism companies in Vietnam need to improve service quality to meet high-end standards. Developing new and different tourism products is necessary. Linking with companies specializing in organizing tours for the super-rich is also an effective approach to introduce and offer goods.
In my opinion, this is the most effective approach today to attract super-rich tourists to Vietnam.
