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  "path": "/2026/05/20/vietnams-tourism-boom-masks-a-bigger-problem/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-20T12:19:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://vietnam-aujourdhui.info",
  "tags": [
    "Vietnam News",
    "Social",
    "Tourism",
    "Vietnam",
    "Authorities on Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island deal with homelessness, begging amid tourism concerns",
    "International flights resumption fails to enthuse Vietnam tourism firms",
    "Vietnamese carriers prepare to resume int’l flights"
  ],
  "textContent": "Domestic tourism numbers hit another record during the April 30-May 1 holidays. Ho Chi Minh City received 1.6 million visitors, Hanoi, 1.35 million, and Da Nang, 1.46 million, and hotel occupancy in many parts of Khanh Hoa reached 90-95%. But even as domestic destinations overflowed with travelers, another stream of people quietly headed to Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei. This was due to the costs involved. A family of four in Hanoi wanting to spend four days and three nights in Phu Quoc during the recent holiday had to pay VND6-10 million (US$230-380) per person on airfare alone, according to a survey by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. Add three- to four-star hotels at VND2.5-4 million ($95 to $150) per night, food and local transportation, and the total cost could easily exceed VND50 million ($1,900). For the same amount, that family could book a four-day, three-night Bangkok-Pattaya package tour for 5.5-7.7 million dong ($209-267) per person and still have money left for shopping. When a Hanoi-Phu Quoc ticket costs as much as a Hanoi-Bangkok ticket, the market naturally shifts. One point deserves clarification for a fair comparison though: Most low-cost Thailand tours now operate on a shopping-tour model, where itineraries require stops at jewelry centers, leather stores, snake farms, and butterfly gardens, and the operators make their profits not from the package price but from commissions paid by retailers. The model has clear strengths and weaknesses and cannot simply be copied. What matters is the way the value chain is designed. Airlines, hotels, restaurants and shopping services are coordinated and so the overall travel experience stays competitive, even in the mass market. Another figure also stands out. Agoda’s Travel Trends 2026 report found that 50% of Vietnamese travelers prefer domestic trips, up sharply from 26% a year earlier. On the surface, that looks like good news for local tourism. But the report showed that the choice was driven mainly by visa barriers and cost concerns. Vietnam’s passport ranks 89th globally and offers visa-free access to only 50 countries. More than 90% of respondents said they were willing to spend no more than $100 per night on accommodation, with 56% planning to spend no more than $50. In other words, many people choose domestic travel partly because it is cheaper and international travel remains difficult, not necessarily because local destinations are more appealing. Once visa agreements expand and package tours to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan become cheaper thanks to higher flight frequencies, Vietnam’s middle-class travelers may shift abroad quickly. The Vietnam Travel Landscape 2026 report described the current situation as a « high-volume, low-value loop »: Large numbers of visitors who spend little, stay briefly, and rarely return. The main reason is the lack of distinctive tourism products. At many beach destinations, tourists spend their days doing the same three activities: swimming, eating seafood and visiting night markets. In heritage cities, itineraries revolve around historical sites, local specialties and souvenir shopping. Structurally, a trip to Phu Quoc offers almost the same experience as a trip to Nha Trang. Destinations struggle to give travelers a reason to return. Nearby markets are moving much faster. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have invested heavily in thematic tourism, seasonal tourism and local cultural experiences with highly detailed planning and storytelling. A traveler visiting Kyoto in April experiences something completely different from a traveler visiting Kyoto in November. That variety encourages repeat visits. Most destinations in Vietnam’s domestic tourism market have yet to achieve that. The industry’s dependence on a few holiday periods each year has triggered a chain reaction. Service prices spike during peak seasons to make up for lower revenues throughout the year. When prices rise too sharply during periods when people feel compelled to travel, perceptions of the destination can suffer. At the same time, businesses struggle to maintain momentum during off-peak months because demand remains weak. A beachfront hotel operating at 30-40% occupancy for 10 months of the year has little incentive to invest regularly in renovation, staff training or new products. Much of the industry remains trapped in that cycle. Workers also face unstable income patterns. Tour guides, housekeepers, chefs, and receptionists work intensely for a few dozen days a year, and then face underemployment during the rest of the time. That is one reason turnover rates in the hospitality and travel sectors remain high, making it harder to improve service quality consistently. Seasonality exists in tourism everywhere, but Vietnam’s dependence on peak periods has reached an extreme level. None of this diminishes the industry’s recent achievements. Ho Chi Minh City generated VND8.7 trillion ($332 million) in tourism revenue during the recent holidays, while Da Nang brought in VND5.727 trillion ($219 million). Tens of millions of trips each year represent real economic value created through the work of millions of people across the industry. The issue may lie in how those numbers are interpreted. Visitor volume is a necessary condition, but what truly matters is the value created by each trip. Over the next few years, Vietnam’s domestic tourism industry faces a harder task than simply increasing visitor numbers. It needs to redesign its products so travelers return because the experience genuinely deserves another visit, not because they lack alternatives. Some industry players have already begun testing new approaches. One option involves restructuring domestic airfare pricing and working with local authorities to ease hotel price pressure during holidays. Another focuses on developing seasonal, thematic and locally driven experiences so that each destination offers multiple ways to travel for different market segments. More importantly, the industry may need to rethink how it defines success. Alongside visitor numbers and holiday revenues, metrics such as average spending, length of stay, and return rates deserve greater attention in official reports. The crowds seen during the four-day holidays could mark the start of a broader reinvention of Vietnam’s tourism products. They could also become an obstacle if they are treated as proof that the current model works well enough. By Nguyen Cao Son – VnExpress.net – May 18, 2026\n\n### Related posts:\n\n  1. Authorities on Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island deal with homelessness, begging amid tourism concerns Authorities in Phu Quoc City, an island off the coast...\n  2. International flights resumption fails to enthuse Vietnam tourism firms Vietnamese tourism companies are not enthused about the possibility of...\n  3. Vietnamese carriers prepare to resume int’l flights Vietnamese carriers have announced plans to restore commercial flights internationally...\n\n",
  "title": "Vietnam’s tourism boom masks a bigger problem"
}