Booking.com - one of the world's largest travel marketplaces reveals how Vietnamese travellers rediscovered travel closer to home these past few months.
Booking.com calculated that the average distance Vietnamese travelled from June to August 2020 is down by 33% compared with the same time last year. While this figure went down, Vietnamese still travelled more in general compared to the global average, which dropped by as much as 63%.
Travel may not be the same during these unprecedented times, but data from Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel companies, reveals that the happiness travel can bring is not measured in kilometres. Travel plans may have changed drastically in 2020 and Vietnamese travellers may not be able to take that distant trip they had previously hoped for, but this has given them the opportunity to discover – and in many instances rediscover – hidden gems and heaps of wonderful experiences closer to home.
While the pandemic may have put international travel plans on hold, the early easing of social distancing and travel restrictions within the country has enabled Vietnamese travellers to book domestic holidays and re-discover their home country. As Booking.com data reveals, a whopping 96% of the total distance travelled by Vietnamese between 1 June to 31 August 2020 was within the country, compared to only 52% during the same period in 2019.
Many Vietnamese travellers have rediscovered the local charm of the country with beach destinations and scenic destinations along the country’s over 3000 kms coastline seeing a relative increase in interest from travellers. The top trending domestic destinations that gained relative prominence and interest compared to same time last year include Cam Ranh, Thanh Hoa, Cua Lo, Sam Son and Quy Nhon.
While these rural gems and lesser known coastal destinations are trending, major cities and popular tourist favourites still topped the list of most popular booked destinations by Vietnamese travellers. Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Vung Tau, Da Nang and Da Lat featured as the most booked destinations between June and August.
Top booked domestic destination by Vietnamese travellers (June 1 - August 31,2020):
