Destinations knownVietnam wants Chinese tourists, but only those willing to spend
Ho Chi Minh City aims to welcome 1.5 million Chinese tourists in the next two years, but no more ‘zero-dong’ package tours
Under fire now are not the tourists themselves, but rather the way that some of them travel – namely, on “zero-dong” tours. Run by Chinese-owned proxy companies, these are low-priced package deals aimed at budget travellers, renowned for injecting little into the local economy and recognisable by their busloads of tourists, who are often pressured into buying expensive gifts and services once on holiday.
In Vietnam, they are popular in the coastal province of Khanh Hoa, where Nha Trang is located; around Da Nang and Hoi An; and in Quang Ninh province, which is home to Halong Bay and border town Mong Cai, the entry point for many Chinese. Online newspaper Hanoitimes reported in March that authorities were closely observing tourism activities in Quang Ninh following the closure of a zero-dong company.
Speaking to VietnamNet, Tu Quy Thanh, director of Ho Chi Minh City-based travel company Lien Bang Travelink, which specialises in the Chinese-speaking market, said that most Vietnamese travel agents in Ho Chi Minh City refuse to run zero-dong tours. Instead, they are targeting more affluent Chinese travellers.
Of course, the independent Chinese tourist is the unicorn of the travel industry, a near-mythical beast with unlimited spending power who is driven by a desire to experience something new and unique. However, recent trends suggest these travellers are not as rare as once imagined. China’s increasingly well-travelled millennials are far less interested in package tours than previous generations, preferring to make their own way overseas, and everyone is trying to court them.