Interesting, but your guest really lost me with his offensively dismissive attitude toward backpackers. Vietnam is a cheap destination and the value and attractiveness of that needs to be mined, promoted, and nurtured. The fact is that many expats (including me) live here in large part due to the low cost of living. The burgeoning medical tourism business is completely based on the low cost of quality healthcare (dentistry, for example) and the low cost of hotels and meals. Scoffing at certain segments of the vast range of people (and their budgets) that have an interest in visiting Vietnam is definitely not smart or conducive to sustainable growth. A segmented, balanced, welcoming approach is what is needed, along with improvements to service quality, facilities, and safety.
Literally HOW Thailand began as a destination five decades ago, Steve, as guests arrived at Hua Lamphong train station for the first time—as BACKPACKERS. These folks had a great experience, returned each year, maybe moved to teach/ work, decided to stay long-term, opened businesses, recommended their favorite spots to others, and perhaps eventually retired.
This was long before Thailand promoted ridiculous elite visas that are basically a glorified chauffeur service with an expedited entry line…
This was an interesting listen, thank you. On a macro level, it would have been useful to understand Vietnam's targets, if any, for tourism and sustainable tourism specifically, as well as the current economic impact of tourism on Vietnam's economy.
One reason why the return rate is lower in Vietnam is because of lengthy visa processes. As a Bahraini, I used to need an approval letter from a tour operator in Vietnam, which was difficult and expensive ($160 online). Now, I can apply for an e-visa, but the visa duration - even with a multi-entry visa - is for maximum of 3 months from the arrival date. Thailand and Malaysia are visa exempt. Other Gulf citizens - Saudi, Omani, Qatar, Emirati, etc - have similar experiences. No matter how beautiful the country is, if tourists need to pay $25-$50 to enter every time on top of a long and expensive route (only Emirates and Qatar Airways fly direct to HCM or Hanoi), they would choose Thailand. So capitalizing on nature- and community-based tourism attraction is important here.
Future episodes would benefit from including the perspectives of sustainable tourism providers in Vietnam, such as ecolodges, to understand their successes, challenges, and opportunities. I look forward to the episode with Stuart since he's covered the topic extensively.
Thoughtful comment, thank you! Agree that ecolodge owners would make for interesting guests, though this isn't a tourism-focused podcast so will wait a while before revisiting the topic. Stuart's episode won't mince any words, I can tell you that!
Not to mention the foul attitudes of nearly every immigration officer that I have ever come into contact with at Vietnam’s airports. Arriving and leaving too.
Your guest mentioned that Vietnam is a “once in a lifetime destination,” and he hit the nail on the head: people come, but people don’t come back. Ease of applying for visas, increasing professionalism at the airports, and more friendliness overall would go a long way. His point about families arriving and spending hours in line is very valid.
For me, having rented a home in Vietnam since 2018—including paying for 27 months during COVID-19 while I was in Thailand—there was nothing worse than navigating the post-pandemic immigration and residency application process. I gave up on dealing with getting a TRC last year and will just spend more time elsewhere in the region, while entering Vietnam as a tourist and using my Hội An rental for special occasions and letting friends stay there.
However, as a professional investor, my firm’s capital will also stay away until necessary changes are made.
Yeah, the immigration people at the airport have serious attitude problems and they are completely out of alignment with Vietnam's stated goals. This lack of alignment up and down the line is commonplace in Vietnam, it's easy to notice, and it really works aganst the country's best interests when it comes to attracting repeat visitors.
Interesting, but your guest really lost me with his offensively dismissive attitude toward backpackers. Vietnam is a cheap destination and the value and attractiveness of that needs to be mined, promoted, and nurtured. The fact is that many expats (including me) live here in large part due to the low cost of living. The burgeoning medical tourism business is completely based on the low cost of quality healthcare (dentistry, for example) and the low cost of hotels and meals. Scoffing at certain segments of the vast range of people (and their budgets) that have an interest in visiting Vietnam is definitely not smart or conducive to sustainable growth. A segmented, balanced, welcoming approach is what is needed, along with improvements to service quality, facilities, and safety.
Literally HOW Thailand began as a destination five decades ago, Steve, as guests arrived at Hua Lamphong train station for the first time—as BACKPACKERS. These folks had a great experience, returned each year, maybe moved to teach/ work, decided to stay long-term, opened businesses, recommended their favorite spots to others, and perhaps eventually retired.
This was long before Thailand promoted ridiculous elite visas that are basically a glorified chauffeur service with an expedited entry line…
This was an interesting listen, thank you. On a macro level, it would have been useful to understand Vietnam's targets, if any, for tourism and sustainable tourism specifically, as well as the current economic impact of tourism on Vietnam's economy.
One reason why the return rate is lower in Vietnam is because of lengthy visa processes. As a Bahraini, I used to need an approval letter from a tour operator in Vietnam, which was difficult and expensive ($160 online). Now, I can apply for an e-visa, but the visa duration - even with a multi-entry visa - is for maximum of 3 months from the arrival date. Thailand and Malaysia are visa exempt. Other Gulf citizens - Saudi, Omani, Qatar, Emirati, etc - have similar experiences. No matter how beautiful the country is, if tourists need to pay $25-$50 to enter every time on top of a long and expensive route (only Emirates and Qatar Airways fly direct to HCM or Hanoi), they would choose Thailand. So capitalizing on nature- and community-based tourism attraction is important here.
Future episodes would benefit from including the perspectives of sustainable tourism providers in Vietnam, such as ecolodges, to understand their successes, challenges, and opportunities. I look forward to the episode with Stuart since he's covered the topic extensively.
Thoughtful comment, thank you! Agree that ecolodge owners would make for interesting guests, though this isn't a tourism-focused podcast so will wait a while before revisiting the topic. Stuart's episode won't mince any words, I can tell you that!
Not to mention the foul attitudes of nearly every immigration officer that I have ever come into contact with at Vietnam’s airports. Arriving and leaving too.
Your guest mentioned that Vietnam is a “once in a lifetime destination,” and he hit the nail on the head: people come, but people don’t come back. Ease of applying for visas, increasing professionalism at the airports, and more friendliness overall would go a long way. His point about families arriving and spending hours in line is very valid.
For me, having rented a home in Vietnam since 2018—including paying for 27 months during COVID-19 while I was in Thailand—there was nothing worse than navigating the post-pandemic immigration and residency application process. I gave up on dealing with getting a TRC last year and will just spend more time elsewhere in the region, while entering Vietnam as a tourist and using my Hội An rental for special occasions and letting friends stay there.
However, as a professional investor, my firm’s capital will also stay away until necessary changes are made.
Yeah, the immigration people at the airport have serious attitude problems and they are completely out of alignment with Vietnam's stated goals. This lack of alignment up and down the line is commonplace in Vietnam, it's easy to notice, and it really works aganst the country's best interests when it comes to attracting repeat visitors.
It's a huge issue, no doubt. I know stamping passports all day must be terribly boring, but TSN in particular is such a poor welcome to the country.