Foreign visitors vísit ancient town of Hội An in Quảng Nam Province. Việt Nam is one among destinations that foreigners want to travel during Lunar New Year. — VNS Photo Thu Ngân

HCM CITY — Việt Nam has cracked a list of the top five most-booked markets for travelers around Asia Pacific looking for a getaway over the Tết (Lunar New Year) travel break, travel agent said.

According to data released by Agoda, visitors from around Asia are turning to the fast-growing nation, drawn in by its stunning scenery, warm culture and renowned cuisine.

Joining Việt Nam on the top five list for regional destinations were Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

When it came to inbound travelers to Việt Nam during one of the region's largest holiday breaks, Koreans have led the way, ahead of visitors from China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, all ensuring a busy Tết season for Việt Nam's travel industry.

Agoda said the top destinations within Việt Nam over Tết will be HCM City, Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang, Hà Nội and Phú Quốc.

Vietnamese visitors are also packing their bags for their annual break - with Đà Lạt proving to be this year's top domestic destination.

The hilltop retreat claimed top honors, ahead of seaside locales Nha Trang, Đà Nẵng and Phan Thiết.

HCM City rounded out the top five, placing fourth in terms of bookings across the period.

Increasingly, local travelers have been opting to travel beyond their borders over Tết, with this year's data showing travelers opting for big cities, with Bangkok, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo filling out the top five destinations for locals who are getting their passports out this year. Fourth place Bali completed the top five.

Lâm Vũ, country director at Agoda Vietnam, shared: "Tết is a time of renewal and celebration, and we see this reflected in the travel choices of our customers. The diversity of preferred destinations speaks to the rich tapestry of experiences sought by travelers during this festive season."

According to Booking.com’s Travel Predictions 2024 research, travelers are seeking cooler destinations to escape the heat, with 82 per cent of Vietnamese travelers citing an interest in water-centric vacations this year.

This is reflected in the top ten most searched destinations by Vietnamese travelers for domestic travel, where six out of the ten destinations include beach destinations like Nha Trang, Đà Nẵng, Vũng Tàu, Phú Quốc, Mũi Né and Hội An.

Besides beaches, bustling cities like HCM and Hà Nội with street vendors selling numerous traditional Tết delicacies, the ancient city of Hội An adorned with thousands of lanterns, or the mountainous terrain of Sapa with awe-inspiring rice terraces, are also destinations Vietnamese travelers are exploring this Tết, the company said.

2024 trends among Vietnamese tourists

A report from tourism ticket selling platform Klook showed Vietnamese travelers are APAC torchbearers as travel enthusiasts in 2024, as over 90 per cent have already booked trips from now until the latter half of the year.

However, bucking the trend of rigid itineraries, Vietnamese are the most spontaneous travelers in APAC as up to half of them book travel experiences after they land or in-destination, which is the highest among APAC.

With the strongest preference for uniqueness of travel experiences in a destination, about 64 per cent, while also being the most likely to try something new based on travel recommendations (38 per cent) among the travelers in APAC, Vietnamese are also the most fear of missing out (FOMO)-fuelled explorers in the region.

Nature and outdoor activities, theme parks and cultural experiences are among the top ways Vietnamese travelers aim to fully enjoy their vacations, Klook said.

The survey by Klook revealed that in 2024, millennials and Gen Z will break away from pandemic habits of me-time and solitary routines of self-care, and will actively choose to venture back on the road to connect and discover with their loved ones.

Nine out of 10 APAC travelers want to pursue trips with others, be it family, partners, or close friends. When it comes to who to share these experiences with, 30 per cent of travelers opt for their partner, and 26 per cent look for family-oriented adventures.

Across APAC, Việt Nam reigns supreme as family travellers, with nearly three in five travelers prioritising bonding with their loved ones.

APAC travelers are ready to increase their budgets to get the most out of travel in 2024, with three in five ready to spend at least 30 per cent to 50 per cent more on their holidays, a significant rise given an estimated average travel spending of US$2,000 in 2023.

This willingness to spend is directed towards experiences that promise meaningful and impactful connections, where they are ready to invest up to half their travel budget on activities and experiences despite rising cost due to global inflation.

Vietnamese travelers even invest more on experiences with 17 per cent willing to allocate over half their travel budget on experiences, which is one of the highest figures in APAC. — VNS