South Korea has always been among the top 10 countries with the most tourists to Vietnam. That’s why understanding travel behaviors of this market in the near future should be concerned.

Currently, the Chinese market still has many unknowns, Russian tourists have not returned yet, while the Indian market is quite complicated. Therefore, the Korean market is an important “red dot sight” for Vietnam tourism to reach the target of international visitors in 2023.

Potential of the Korean market

From 2015 – 2019, the number of Korean tourists to Vietnam kept increasing, from over 1.1 million to more than 4.2 million arrivals. With an annual average growth rate of 10.7% and the highest record of more than 35 million trips in 2018, Korea led in the number of outbound visitors in the period 2015 – 2019. Moreover, their spending on overseas travel is also among the top in the world.

In terms of favorite attractions, Asian countries are always their top choice. Specifically, up to 80% of Korean tourists chose to go abroad to Asian destinations such as Japan, Vietnam,… It can be seen that the expansion of low-cost flight routes, geographical distance and the travel costs have created advantages for Asian destinations, thereby attracting tourists from this attractive market.

Though always in the top destinations of Korean tourists, it’s not yet good news for Vietnam tourism. Because according to The Outbox Company’s survey of outbound travel behaviors, the level of awareness about Vietnam of Korean tourists is only average – good. It means they just know a bit but not understand well about Vietnam. If the country wants to attract and make them return, it should get to know them more and try to change the approach.

Behaviors of Korean outbound travelers

Outbox survey shows that 47% Korean tourists are planning for foreign trips in the next 6 months. The three key factors influencing their decision to travel abroad are safety, price, and measures to prevent and control the pandemic. They said they would be willing to pay a lot to get the most complete experience at the property. 39.2% of Korean tourists surveyed preferred the luxury hotel and resort segment. This once again confirms their interest in accommodation.

When Korean tourists need information for their trips, they will search in travel blogs and websites. After getting enough necessary information, most of them will book through online travel agents (OTAs). Due to high travel demand and long disconnection, it is not a surprise that they are willing to spend more for upcoming foreign trips (44.8%).

Businesses and tourist spots in Vietnam can use the above data to please more and more Korean visitors. The goal is not only to attract visitors, but also to raise their awareness of the Vietnamese destination image, thereby keeping them coming back.

More details can be found at “Korean – Japanese – Taiwanese outbound travel behavior” Outbox Capture published by The Outbox Company.