Summer, the peak season of the year in Vietnam, has arrived. To breakthrough in the number of tourists and revenue during this time, destinations and businesses need to grasp all key information about tourists, the end-users in a tourism product/service.

Though this is the peak season for Vietnamese domestic tourists, should we equate an approach strategy to attract them? How was each gen different and similar when traveling in the summer of 2022? Let’s find out through Outbox’s study.

Differences among 3 Vietnamese gens in domestic travel

Time to travel

Summer is the peak season, when students have a long vacation. Therefore, many families take the chance to travel with their children.

According to statistics from the National Administration of Tourism, Vietnam domestic tourism boomed last summer. From May to August, the number of Vietnamese domestic tourists reached more than 43 million, 53.2% higher than the same period in 2019.

According to an Outbox survey, about 60% of travelers said they made the trip between May and August 2022. However, tourists at each age group traveled at different times. Specifically, gen Z (18-25 years old) traveled the most in both June and July. Meanwhile, tourists from 26-45 years old (gen Y) preferred to take a trip in June. The group of over 46 (gen X) traveled extremely much in July. They also had the highest demand for summer trips compared to the other two age groups, according to the survey.

Favorite destination

Due to the high temperature of summer, island destinations such as Danang, Phu Quoc, Vung Tau or Ha Long became popular. In addition, there was a famous destination with cool weather all year round, Dalat. The city also led the top destinations chosen by Vietnamese domestic tourists for the summer of 2022.

Gen X especially liked Dalat. The destination increasingly offers pretty homestays and dining places, located among majestic mountains, and attracts many young tourists.

Gen Y expressed great love for Danang, the city of bridges and dubbed as a livable city in Vietnam. Gen X preferred to visit and relax on Phu Quoc island.

Type of travel

In 2022, Vietnamese domestic tourists taking self-guided trips increased significantly compared to the previous year. The development of technology, social media, review sites, influencers, etc. is said to encourage tourists to freely discover the world.

Among tourists who took self-guided tours with their families, gen X accounted for the highest proportion. If the companion is a group of friends or colleagues, gen Z made up the most. This age group also preferred solo travel the most. As for package tours, gen X accounted for the largest proportion, approximately equal to the total proportion of the other two groups.

Booking channel

According to Outbox’s survey, more than 80% of Vietnamese tourists over 46 y.o. chose to book directly through the provider’s website and hotline. Besides these two channels, gen Z and gen Y also preferred to book directly through the provider’s social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, etc. That’s why providers should invest a lot in building websites, social media as well as call centers. Convenience, speed with complete information will make tourists decide to book services more quickly.

Type of accommodation

All 3 surveyed age groups preferred to stay in mid-range hotels (3-star), but they still had different preferences in choosing accommodation when traveling. Specifically, gen X accounted for the largest proportion in the mid-range hotel and resort segment. The luxury hotel (4- to 5-star) segment was the most chosen by gen Y.

Gen Z liked homestay the most. This partly explains why they traveled to Dalat a lot last year, where many unique homestays are located. As they are students or newbie workers, the majority of this gen preferred cheaper accommodation than the other groups.

Budget

According to the survey, many Vietnamese domestic tourists increased their budget for travel in 2022. With different average income, 3 gens also have different budgets for tourism. In general, older travelers spent more for travel.

Most of gen X spent from 5-15 million VND for a trip. Gen Y spent from 3-10 million, while gen Z spent from 1-7 million VND per trip. The different choice of destinations, type of travel or accommodation can explain this.

Conclusion

Above are some big differences among Vietnamese domestic tourists of different age groups according to Outbox’s survey results. Not only are they different, they are also having unobservable changes in tastes, behaviors and psychology. Businesses and destinations need to care more about the journey and profile of visitors and be more proactive in order to successfully reach them.

 

Domestic tourism, whether past or present, plays an important role in Vietnam tourism. In the near future, it is forecasted that domestic tourism is still focused.

In 2022, Vietnam domestic tourism made a breakthrough with 101.3 million visitors, 168.3% higher than the plan. It even surpassed the pre-pandemic levels (85 million visitors in 2019).

With great potential, better understanding domestic tourists will contribute to the growth of the country’s tourism.

Taste of Vietnamese domestic tourists

According to the latest survey of The Outbox Company about domestic tourist profiles, in 2022, Da Lat led top destinations of Vietnam tourists, followed by Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Vung Tau, Ha Long, Hanoi,… In particular, Da Lat is loved by tourists of all age groups surveyed. Specifically, 30.6% of people aged 18-25, 30.6% of people aged 25-45, and 33.6% of people over 46 years old chose Da Lat as their top destination.

Island destinations including Da Nang, Phu Quoc, and Vung Tau are all popular with over-46-year-old tourists. Meanwhile, those from 18-25 are not really interested in these famous spots.

The top factors that make them decide to visit these domestic tourist destinations include beautiful natural scenery, destination characteristics that suit personal preferences, variety of shopping and entertainment activities, and trip costs.

In terms of time, last year, all three age groups surveyed by Outbox chose to travel domestically in the summer (from May to August), the peak tourist season.

The majority of Vietnamese tourists today tend to choose self-guided travel instead of tours. This trend has emerged quite a lot compared to the time before the 4th wave of COVID-19. Notably, all three age groups traveled freely with family, groups of friends or colleagues. Perhaps the long-term disconnection caused by COVID-19 has partly made them want to connect more with their beloved people.

How they plan a trip

Vietnamese tourists now prefer short-term trips (2- to 3-night stays). The 18-25 year old group always leads in shorter trips such as a one-night stay or day trip. Travelers over 46 prefer 2-3 night trips the most. At the same time, with longer trips (4-5 nights or 6-7 nights), they took more than the other two groups.

Another obvious change is that Vietnamese tourists increasingly tend to plan 1-2 weeks before their trip, instead of a month or more as before.

 

At the destination, Vietnamese tourists prioritize enjoying local cuisine. The next must-do activities are sightseeing, beach activities and shopping at the local market.

Mid-range hotels are the most popular type with all above 3 groups of tourists. Young tourists prefer the cheaper accommodation segment than the other two groups (from budget hotels and below).

The spending power of Vietnamese tourists is also increasing. Last year, over 60% said they spent more on travel than in 2019. More than 70% were willing to spend more on experiences.