HCM CITY — Amadeus, a provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry, said its latest research found that 71 per cent of Vietnamese travellers are open to sharing their data with travel providers for a more personalised experience.

In the report called “The Journey of Me Insights: What Vietnamese Travellers Want”,  the research looks into how Vietnamese travellers plan and book their trips; how and why they want to stay connected while travelling; and how frequently they use sharing-economy services as well as new technologies.

The research said that Vietnamese travellers take their lead from other travellers. Inspiration is the doorway to opportunity for travel providers, but authenticity is the key to unlocking it, the report said. 

When planning trips, Vietnamese travellers ignore the glossy pictures of travel brochures and the carefully curated Instagram feeds of celebrities. Instead, 1.5 out of 3 respondents are influenced by their friends, family and colleagues, according to the report. 

Beyond personalisation, connecting with travellers in a timely and intuitive manner is equally important. While most Vietnamese travellers are interested in receiving recommendations from the moment they consider a trip to the period of travel, the travel industry must consider how to connect with travellers and which kind of content should be offered, the report said. 

About 34 per cent of Vietnamese travellers prefer to receive updates and recommendations about their trips through e-mail, with only 9 per cent happy to be contacted through a messaging service app. 

Recommendations that help ensure their safety were the top choice for Vietnamese travellers (38 per cent), while time-saving tips were less popular (16 per cent), the report said.

Lê Việt Cường, general manager of Amadeus Vietnam, said: “This report from Amadeus reveals that Vietnamese travellers are far less concerned about finding familiar items from home at their destination, with just 2 per cent of respondents expecting tour guides to speak a language they understand versus 46 per cent regionally. Behaviours and demands of travellers vary enormously from one country to another and the industry must come to grips with this.”

The Vietnamese report is part of a wider report called “Journey of Me Insights” which was conducted in collaboration with YouGov across 14 markets in Asia Pacific, including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Việt Nam. — VNS