Tourism Sector

Analysis of Vietnam’s business opportunity

CCIE Ho Chi Minh City
Country overview

Vietnam is the country with the most dynamic economy and growth in the whole Southeast
Asian region. According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the country has experienced a
GDP growth of 7.02%, surpassing the government forecasts. 2019 has been the second year in a
row with a higher than 7% and its growth forecasts for 2020 keep picturing Vietnam as the most
active economy in the area. In fact, in the first 9 months of 2020 the country recorded GDP growth
of 2.12% and an inflation rate of only 2.59%. Vietnam's trade balance has very interesting data, in
fact the total value of imports is 185.87 billion US dollars and that of exports is 202.86 billion of
US$. FDI remains high at 21.2 billion of US$, of which 10.4 billion of US$ comes from new
capital. Also in these 9 months of 2020, the increase in new businesses rose by 99,000 units, in
addition to the 34,600 businesses that have resumed their activities. The numbers of companies that
have temporarily interrupted their activities and of companies that have closed definitively are
respectively 38,600 and 27,600.

In parallel to the country’s economy, the widening Vietnamese middle class’s disposal of
money is expected to grow further, with a forecast of 5.9% for 2020-2030. This will imply an
augmentation in the consumptions, as confirmed from the previous year’s trend, always above 7%.
This increase of disposable income will allow a widening number of Vietnamese tourists to
consider Non-Asian destination as their travel destination, including Europe and Italy. It is
estimated that in 2021 the number of Vietnamese tourists who will travel abroad will reach 7.5
million. In Southeast Asia and in the rest of the continent, Vietnam ranks second in terms of
outward tourism growth, behind only Myanmar. The whole region thus is increasing in
attractiveness for all types of tourists; in particular, in Vietnam such as in other ASEAN countries,
an increase of both aged and young tourists is registered, with the latter ones choosing Vietnam as
their favorite destination for gap year.

Source: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism

It should not be a surprise that tourism has become a strong sector in Vietnam’s economy. It has
experienced a growth of 16.2% compared to 2018, and tourists have increased by each mean of
transportation, such as land (+15.2%), maritime (+20.4%) and air (+22.7%). In total, 18.008.600
tourists have been registered during the whole 2019. In December 2019, the majority of tourists
that have picked Vietnam as their holiday destination came from Asia Asia (+28,9%, 79% of the
tourists in Vietnam). Specifically, it has been registered an increase in tourists from China
(+37.7%), South Korea (30.9%), Taiwan (+25.1%), USA (+1.5%), Japan (+12.8%), Russia
(+11.8%), Europe (+7.1%). Tourism in Vietnam has started 2020 in an positive trend, having
1.994.125 tourists arrived in the country in January only, of which 10.018 Italian (+103.9%
compared to January 2019

Source: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism

Vietnam and Italy

Following the global trend, Italian tourist in Vietnam has been registering a positive growth
for several years. From 2012, in fact, according to the data provided by the Vietnam National
Administration of Tourism, the percentage of Italians who have picked Vietnam as their own travel
destination has always hit two digits.

A constantly positive trend can be observed, ranking Italy the sixth country in terms of outward
tourists in Vietnam among the 21 Member States of the EU and the 21st in the world. An unilateral
Visa-free policy for Italian tourists’ whose stay is lasting less than 15 days has certainly contributed
to achieving such score. A tourist visa, valid 3 months, is required only for stays longer than 2
weeks. This fits perfectly with the traveling style Italian tourists have in Vietnam, usually lasting 7
to 10 days, and that includes for destination classic locations such as Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi
An, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. Longer stays usually include Sapa, Bac Ha
or Ninh Binh in the north, and Phu Quoc island in the south. Referring to this last one, Italian flight
company Neos has opened a seasonal flight from Milano Malpensa to Phu Quoc, with a technical
stop in Phuket, Thailand. Italian tourists arrive in Vietnam mainly in Dec-Feb and Jul-Aug, their age
and class composition in divers, they rely mostly on travel agencies and prefer 3 to 5 stars hotel
packs: (Source: Informercatiesteri).
 Looking at Italy, numbers are equally positive. With an
increase of international tourism in Italy of 6.6% and
of stays of 4.4% in 2019, the tourist sector remains
“Italy’s Oil”, as defined by Italian newspaper Il sole 24
ore. In 2019 national GDP was composed of 13% by
the tourist sector.

Also, in relation to Vietnamese tourism in Italy, the

Peninsula rank 3rd among the Vietnam’s favorite
European destinations. An improvement of the Italian
agencies in Vietnam, such as the opening of the Italian
Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City in 2014 and of a visa
office in Danang in 2016, has eased the process for
obtaining a tourist visa, whose number has been constantly increasing during the years. Another
incentive for Vietnamese tourism in Italy is given by the divers travel packs offered to the travelers;
numerous multi-country packs are organized by Vietnamese tour operator, that include visits to
French, Switzerland in addition to the Italian destinations. From 2015, mono-country packs focused
on Italy have been created, including classic destination such as Rome-Florence-Pisa-Milano, for a
7 days itinerary. Attracting Vietnamese tourists in Italy is not only the cultural-artistic heritage the
country. The association of Made in Italy with the country generates a interest in the fashion and
luxury world, in sport (soccer, bike race and car race) and in particular for the gastronomical one.
Interest for Italy is indeed strong among Vietnamese tourists; the difficulty for Italian operators is to
consolidate and improve the relations already existing with local partners, in addition to a European
competition that better use web promotion and social media.

Air transport remains the only way for Vietnamese tourist to arrive in Italy. Strengthening
Italy-Vietnam air routes, with at least one transfer in a
third country, has improved furtherly to the increase of
the numbers of tourism. National airline company Vietnam Airlines (a Sky Team member)
effectuates direct flight from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Paris, London Heathrow and
Frankfurt. Several Italian destinations can then be reached from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and,
recently, Danang. Airlines that connect Italy and Vietnam with a stop in a third country are:
Alitalia-Etihad (Abu Dhabi); Aeroflot (Moscow); Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong); Emirates (Dubai);
Qatar (Doha); Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur); Singapore Airlines (Singapore); Thai (Bangkok);
Turkish Airlines (Istanbul). (Source: Rapporto Congiunto Ambasciate/Consolati/ENIT 2017).

Services offered by the CCIE Vietnam

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (CCIE Vietnam) is a private association
whose main activities are focused, mainly, around the promotion of trade with Italy.
The Chamber aims to develop a networking web between organizations, agencies and
operators who work in Italy and Vietnam to in order to develop their economic and commercial
relations, while easing the internationalization of Italian firms in Vietnam.
The Chamber is involved into a series of activites in order to achive its aim: analysis such as
the one in this report (a study of the furniture, design and construction sector in Vietnam) and the
pointing of potential partners in the country are just some of the services\support that the Chamber
can offer to the Italian operators.
It should be remembered that the Chamber can offer a variety of specific services in support
of Italian firms in their internationalization process.
Specifically, the Chamber can:
- Organize B2B meetings: Organize, plan and schedule Italian firms to B2B meetings after
having researched the perfect local partner. Also provide interpreter and other logistics
services.
- Offering a Follow up service: Support Italian firms in contacting, reminding and following
up with the Vietnamese partner after the B2B meeting.
- Organize seminaries on specific themes: Promote Italian products or tech from a technical
point of view for defined sectors.
- Organize visits in firm: Both to the producer or the importer\retailer’s company.
- Provide consultancy service for investments: Follow the investor during its whole
investment path, from the first step to the opening of its branch.
- Lobby: Providing lobby services with the government or local authority.
-
Contacts
- For further information, please visit www.icham.org or send an email to:
- - officer@icham.org
- - madeinitaly@icham.org
- - info@icham.org