Many customers but the experience is not different
The Hung Kings Commemoration Day and Southern Liberation Day April 30 - International Labor Day holidays have been taking place close together for the past year, creating conditions for many tourists to actively take 1-2 more days off, which can form a 9-day long holiday. This has caused the demand for travel to increase sharply, especially on domestic routes, while short tours continue to be a popular choice.
The heat of the market is clearly reflected in the fact that many destinations are soon fully booked, and the number of visitors flocking to coastal tourist cities, mountainous areas and highlands is increasing sharply. However, behind that vibrant picture is a familiar reality: Travel experiences in many places are still repetitive, lacking different highlights.
Most of the tourist's journey still revolves around familiar activities such as relaxation, sightseeing, enjoying cuisine and check-in. Supporting products such as thematic tours, local cultural experiences or nightlife activities have not been invested in commensurately, making it difficult to extend the stay.
According to Mr. Pham Hai Quynh - Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute (ATI), Vietnamese tourism has passed the "cheap destination" stage to move towards a "rich experience destination", but still mainly stops at the potential level. "Peak seasons like these long holidays clearly show one problem: We can attract many tourists, but it is not certain that we will create a clear impression. Tourists come and go, but the memory of the destination is not deep enough to form identity" - he said.
An important reason is the lack of synchronization in development strategies. Promotion activities are still fragmented, each locality builds its image in its own way, lacking connection to create a common story. Along with that, uneven service quality also reduces stability in the experience.
In addition, the service quality between destinations is not uniform, making the tourist experience unstable. This is an important factor in building long-term trust and brand image.
Vietnam is recognized as having many outstanding advantages such as a rich heritage system, diverse cuisine, and unique traditional craft villages. However, these values have not yet been "packaged" into products with strong spillover effects.
Businesses need to create their own mark, learn from the world's ways of doing things
According to experts, if strategy is the foundation, then tourism products are the decisive factor in competitiveness. The occasion of April 30 - May 1 is not only a short-term growth opportunity, but also a time to verify product quality and service organization.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Hoan - General Director of Flamingo Redtours - said that the biggest problem of Vietnamese tourism today is not the lack of customers, but the lack of products that are attractive enough to keep customers longer and make them spend more.
Many destinations are developing in a trend. When a model is successful, other localities quickly follow suit, leading to overlap in experience. This makes it difficult for tourists to feel the difference between destinations," he said.
International experience shows that the organization of products and services plays a key role. This expert cited Thailand, tourist areas are developed in a synchronous direction, combining accommodation, cuisine, shopping and entertainment to create a closed experience chain. Meanwhile, Japan focuses on consistency in service standards, while South Korea takes advantage of the power of popular culture to promote the image of destinations.
On the other hand, according to Mr. Pham Hai Quynh, Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute (ATI), learning needs to be selective. "We cannot copy models, but must learn how to organize, how to tell stories, thereby developing products based on Vietnamese culture and people" - he emphasized.
For peak seasons such as April 30 - May 1, this is also an opportunity for localities to experiment and shape unique products. Tours associated with history and culture; local festivals; or nighttime economic development... can become highlights to help extend stay time and enhance the value of experience.
