Vietnam should pay heed to culinary needs of Indian tourists: Vietravel exec

The 4,500 tourists from India’s Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Group visiting Vietnam are having their particular dietary needs carefully catered to, says leading Vietnamese travel agency Vietravel.

Led by billionnaire founder Dilip Shanghvi, the large group has attracted significant public interest as they travel to different parts of the country during their 12-day (Aug 27-Sept 7) visit.

Typically, large groups of several thousand people arriving in Vietnam travel by sea, docking at coastal destinations like Ha Long town, Hue town, Danang city and Nha Trang town, where they base themselves while exploring areas in the vicinity. This simplifies organizing transportation, accommodation and dining for large groups.

However, the Indian group of 4,500 visitors arrived by air. They will spend five days and four nights in Hanoi, Ninh Binh province, and Ha Long town before heading to other parts of the country.

Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, director of Vietravel's marketing communications department, said the travel agency has meticulously planned the itinerary for this large group, including accommodation, multilingual tour guides, transportation and more.

“Food and drink are crucial for Indian visitors, as some are strict vegetarians while others avoid specific types of meat,” Khanh said.

Broadly, Indians tend to be vegetarians, vegetarians who eat eggs, and non-vegetarians who avoid beef and/or pork. Fewer numbers of Indians have no culinary restrictions.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Vietnam welcomed over 392,000 Indian visitors in 2023, a 231% jump from 2019. In the first half of 2024 alone, the country welcomed 231,000 Indian visitors, up 164% year-on-year.

These impressive statistics underscore the fact that India has become one of Vietnam’s top 10 international tourist markets. It also highlights the country’s growing popularity among Indian travelers.

A Skyscanner report released late 2023 showed that Indian tourists were most interested in visiting Danang, with the central coastal city topping their destination searches.

The capital city of Hanoi was another top 10 draw for Indian travelers among destinations across the world. The capital city, home to UNESCO heritage site Thang Long Imperial Citadel and ancient pagodas as well as historical relics, came fifth on the list with a 396% search increase year-on-year after Japan’s Osaka (435%).

Scotland-based Skycanner is one of the world's largest flight travel search platforms.

Managing large visitor groups

In related news, representatives from various tourism companies have stressed the need to address several issues related to hosting large groups of tourists.

These include lengthy entry procedures, which can frustrate tourists and complicate operations for tourism businesses, as well as limited entry time for sea travelers and inflexible visa policies. The Vietnamese tourism industry also lacks sufficient products tailored for large groups, they’ve said.

Phan Xuan Anh, general director of Tan Hong-Du Ngoan Viet Tourism Company Ltd., said his firm has managed groups of 2,500-3,000 travelers arriving by sea and realized the importance of being flexible in handling their itineraries.

For instance, Ho Chi Minh City's landmarks and attractions cannot accommodate thousands of guests simultaneously.

Therefore, the company organizes large groups into smaller ones with staggered schedules. One group would visit Vung Tau town (Ba Ria Vung Tau province), another would explore the Cu Chi tunnels, and yet another would go on city tours to museums and historic sites.

Doan Thi Thanh Tra, director of marketing and communications at Saigontourist Travel Services Company Limited, said her company hosted up to 7,500 guests on four ships to Ha Long Bay once and at another time welcomed 5,700 tourists and crew members to Phu My port in Ba Ria Vung Tau.

She emphasized the importance of close coordination among tourism businesses, local authorities, accommodation providers and food and beverage establishments to effectively manage large groups.

Tra suggested that local tourism departments develop more incentive programs to attract overnight cruise lines and large groups of guests, including offering free sightseeing tickets, cooking experiences, and traditional Vietnamese dish demonstrations.