Travelers in Vietnam and some APAC countries are expressing interest in future domestic travel, because the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the way people will approach travel-related decision-making, according to the latest study by Google. 

Source: the Global Web Index

The Global Web Index (GWI) study showed that in Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and the Philippines, more than 25% of respondents said they plan to travel domestically in the next three months, compared with countries like Australia and Japan, where less than 14% of them plan to do so.

This differing sentiment is also reflected in future international travel plans, of which, respondents in Indonesia, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam have indicated they are 1.5X more likely than those in Australia, Singapore, and Japan to travel internationally in the next six months.

Source: the Global Web Index

According to the GWI study, in the world, 45% of people who delayed a vacation due to Covid-19 are planning to prioritize booking a vacation or trip after the pandemic ends.

Search data indicates some early signs of recovery for Vietnam’s tourism industry after the period of social distancing ended in late April. In June, the number of searches for tourism doubled compared to that in March, however, was still 20% lower than last June. 

Searches for “homestay accommodations” are gaining momentum with an increase of 180% in June, while searches for “resorts”, “What is tourism marketing”, or “all-inclusive travel deals” are also on the rise. Top 10 favorite destinations such as Danang, Hanoi, Lam Dong, Thua Thien-Hue, Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Khanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Yen Bai and Phu Tho are starting to pick up in Vietnam.

Source: the Global Web Index

According to the study, when APAC consumers begin to consider traveling again, a key motivator for booking will be both the flexibility to make changes to reservations and the promotional discounts available to them. 

Particularly, 29% of Vietnamese respondents indicated plans to make more use of promotions as they are looking for cheaper vacation packages in the future. The Vietnamese travelers are also concerned about free masks/sanitizer wipes when booking a flight in the next three months.

The findings highlight emerging trends that travel companies should consider in trying to catch the demand of Vietnamese travelers.