Customers seeking green and eco-travel options in luxury travel

August 25, 2022 | 17:30
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Customers are devoting their attention to more in-depth experiences like green and eco-travel options, and hotel developers need to accommodate this trend. This was the primary focus of VIR's talk show-themed Emerging Hotspots for Eco-luxury & Experienced Tourism.

The talk show welcomed seasoned developers and hoteliers in Vietnam to explore the burgeoning green tourism trend.

At the talk show, speakers discussed Vietnam's tourism and hospitality industries as re-emerging marketplaces and reviewed new tourism offerings and high-end services, with eco-luxury travel and other experiences for domestic and foreign travellers as the highlights.

Customers seeking green and eco-travel options in luxury travel
Speakers talked about the rising interest in eco-experience in luxury travel

The seminar also explored green hotel and resort concepts that address the rising need for healthcare, wellness, refreshments, and rejuvenation.

Vietnam's hotel sector is witnessing numerous ways to recover and blossom in the near future. American market research and consulting firm Technavio forecast that the Vietnamese hotel market will grow by $2.12 billion in the 2021-2026 period, achieving a compound annual growth rate of 14.43 per cent. In 2022, the unit forecasts that the domestic hotel market will grow by 13.44 per cent.

In Vietnam, hotel chains will significantly increase their market share. This market expansion will be driven by the travel and tourism industry's consistent rise as well as substantial investments in 5- and 4-star hotels as the country grows in popularity.

Going green has been a top priority for many years and continues to draw a great deal of attention from both hotel management and guests. Sustainable accommodation is becoming increasingly popular. The eco-friendly trend is gradually transforming from an emerging trend to a requirement that all hotels must satisfy in order to meet the rising demands of passengers who wish to safeguard environmental and societal responsibilities.

Customers seeking green and eco-travel options in luxury travel

This pattern is becoming an essential concern for the foremost companies in the global hospitality industries and Vietnam.

Le Thi Thu Nguyet, director of Marketing and Communications, Muong Thanh Hospitality

Customers seeking green and eco-travel options in luxury travel

We are flexible and adaptable, generating chances, such as being one of the first sites to accommodate quarantined visitors during the pandemic's challenging time. It was an unavoidable necessity at that time, providing a source of income from tourists as well as an effort to maintain the hotel and the quality of service.

When the number of hotels increases, each hotel segment is subdivided to accommodate each geographical region and customer demand for a variety of services. We strive to maintain the quality of the hotels consistent in order to provide the same level of service regardless of which province a client visits.

We perceive the difficulties in the issue of labour and human capital. In addition to supporting local tourism throughout the growth process, Muong Thanh includes the formation of employment possibilities by using local labour to transform the appearance of tourism in Vietnam.

Numerous elements must be considered while solving an investment issue. We aim to be pioneers at Muong Thanh. Therefore, after deciding which destination we would contribute to the expansion of, we will examine the area and the number of tourists. The Board of Directors will examine the long-term goals and growth of the site.

Michael Piro, CEO, Wink Hotels

Customers seeking green and eco-travel options in luxury travel

As a brand-new entrant to the Vietnamese market, Wink experienced a number of initial obstacles. Nonetheless, we were able to acquire property at a lower price amid the pandemic last year.

People now travel to explore local culture rather than to stay in a luxury hotel. Our target demographic includes not just young individuals but also those who are youthful at heart and in spirit. We have welcomed sixty-year-old clients that frequently combine work and pleasure travel. We also offer speed guarantee services. For instance, we are attempting to get customers from the moment they enter the hotel to their room within two minutes. We also develop our hotels to be a place of business and recreation.

In addition, we deliver a 5-star service experience at the price of a 3-star hotel, thus providing customers with a great service experience at an affordable price. Notably, if guests check in at 7pm, they may check out at the same time the next day. We believe that every visitor deserves a full 24 hours of enjoyment in our hotels.

Wink seeks to achieve sustained growth in Vietnam. Our long-term objective is to construct 20 hotels in the country’s tier II cities within 15 years. We will continue to build new projects nationwide, beginning in Ho Chi Minh City and breaking ground on a new hotel in Can Tho in September.

The eco-friendly trend is gradually transforming from an emerging trend to a requirement that all hotels must satisfy in order to meet the rising demands of passengers who wish to safeguard environmental and societal responsibilities.

Mauro Gasparotti, director at Savills Hotels

Customers seeking green and eco-travel options in luxury travel

Our customers also include hotel developers. Apart from profit, we always advise our clients to identify the investment cost, vision, and product attributes. Hotels are more complicated than other real estate product lines.

Many Vietnamese developers do not realise the industry's complexities, since they simply concentrate on physical assets and disregard the client experience. The hotel sector consists of different forms and ideas to implement. Hence, developers need to have a firm grasp of the industry characteristics and customer needs before starting their projects.

Currently, there is an excess of supply, market rivals, and a lack of human resources. The impending demand will skyrocket, and we need to start searching for new talents.

People now travel to improve both their physical and mental well-being by refreshing themselves and relaxing. Nutrition should be taken into consideration when developing well-being tourism. Customers are perceptive since they are aware of whether or not their health is genuinely cared for.

Dao Duc Long, director of Project Development, Minh Duc Green Tour JSC

Customers seeking green and eco-travel options in luxury travel

The pandemic is a case of force majeure, but the full strategy and resources have already been planned, therefore there is no reason for us to stop. Minh Duc aims to promote ecotourism development, which has recently been contributed to by promoting new trends in the pandemic era with sustainable tourism more rapidly.

In a recent reassessment of the market, the visitor growth rate remains favourable. Yen Bai's growth rate reached 9 per cent in 2020, and in 2021, despite a lengthy shutdown, it remained positive at 5 per cent.

I am aware of both the possibilities for economic progress and my responsibilities to society and the community. Vietnam will become a famous tourist attraction in the near future.

The survey data indicates that there are indications of substantial expansion in the highlands, particularly in Yen Bai. Prior to the pandemic, this area had a growth rate of up to 40 per cent, indicating an immense potential for tourist development, although tourism in this region had expanded fairly organically in the past. Therefore, if the government and corporations assist Yen Bai, the province will achieve excellent results.

We have an abundance of potential, allowing us to invest and expand the region's tourist economy more effectively. There is a current tendency to shift destinations, from Sapa to Hoa Binh, Ha Giang, and more. But still, no hotspot has arisen after Sapa. Together, Yen Bai and the mountainous regions may enhance tourism in order to link up and promote the region.

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By Vivienne Vu

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