Tourism is changing around the world, Vietnam included. according to a report presented by the Vietnam National Administration o Tourism (VNAT) at the "Tourism Development Trends of the World and Impacts on Vietnamese Tourism" seminar on August 20 in Hanoi.
Old habits of travelers around the world are being replaced by demands that match the new technological age. "Green tourism and sustainable tourism on the basis of green tourism will be the development paths over the next years for Vietnam's tourism industry," the report noted.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reports that by 2030, people traveling for the purposes of visiting, health, and religion will account for 31 percent of all tourists, with those traveling for the purposes of sightseeing, convalescence, recreation, and entertainment accounting for 54 percent those for work or career 15 per cent.
Global tourism will continue to grow, especially among middle-class travelers from China. This trend presents significant opportunities foe Southeast Asian countriesto earn more tourism revenue. With a population of a billion and a half, the country has become the world's largest source of tourists and will have a strong impact on the tourism development policies of many countries.
During the 2018-2028 period, tourism demand will increase 4 per cent annually, faster than global economic growth. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to lead the way, welcoming 535 million international visitors by 2030.
Though most people travel foe sightseeing, relaxing, and etertainment, many new purposes will be created in the future. There are more and more travelers interested in expereincing the traditional culture of the destination country, enjoying nature, and experiencing creativity and high-technology. Medical and healthcare tourism in particular are becoming increasingly common.
The UNWTO estimates that the development of low-cost aviation will bring great benefits to the tourism industry worldwide. Cruise holiday also countinue to rise in popularity.
Industry 4.0 has had a major imparct on tourism management and business methods, creating new tourism trends such as smart tourism and creative tourism. Different form tradiional tours, smart tourism focuses on the interests of visitors but ensures lower coss and safer and more convenient trip based on new technology applications in modern devices.
Traveling without cash
Changes have also been seen in recent years from cash payments to card payments or the use of payment applications on smartphones. Airline and hotel booking servies through smartphones are increasing sharply.
Digital technology will dominate growth in Asia-Pacific region, with 80 percent ò tríp booked online, hile 87 percent ò young people believe that smartphones are the perfect tool for a great trip.
According to many experts in the service industry, information technology and social networks will be the future of tourism.
Tourist spending is also changing markedly. In previous years, the majority of money was spent on basic services such as dining, drinking, and trasport, while the new trend is to spend on services such as shopping, souvenirs, and entertainment.
The global tourism industry is witnessing the development of many different tourism trends, such as self-designed tours, high-end tours, adventure tours, experiential tours, and leisure tourism with moodern equipment and facilities. In order to catch up with this wave, domestic travel providers have to invest more in building special tourism products that meet demand.
Around the world and also Vietnam, simple vacations are no longer popular among tourists, who are no more interestef in the quality of the experience. Guests will stay longer if the destination has more things to see and do. Marine tourism was popular in the past, but nowadays travelers are fond of staying in mountain resorts or experiencing the local culture.
New genaration tourists love the environment and the feel responsible for its protection, so the trend of finding unique cultural values and pristine ecology is also becoming popular.
High-tech tourism such as smart tourism, virtual reality tourism, and electronic tourism, etc, in modern entertainment at areas, parks, and entertainment complexes are also increasingly popular and attrating large number of travelers.
Vietnam's tourism is also changing to match global trends. According to UNWTO, Southeast Asia will become the fourth-largest destination in the world, and Vietnam is one of the ten fastest-growing destinations.