Chinese tourists pick Vietnam over Thailand

'Many feel Vietnam is a bit more authentic'

- K. OANH HА NGUYEN XUAN QUYNΗ ANUCHIT NGUYEN

This summer, Hu Jia and her family opted to skip Thailand's iconic beaches and ornate temples, a short flight from her home in Sichuan province. Instead, she booked a two-week trip to Vietnam amid growing Chinese concerns over Thailand’s safety.

Ms Hu, her husband and their two school-aged sons travelled on a swank sleeper bus from the northern capital of Hanoi to coastal Danang in July.

“Vietnam has its own unique charm,’ said Ms Hu, 33, who spent just under $3,000 (about 95,300 baht). “I really love places that feel natural and untouched. IfI get the chance, I'll definitely come back”

Ms Hu and her family are among a new wave of 3.5 million arrivals from China that’s fuelling Vietnam's record tourism this year and helping to unseat Thailand as the top regional destination for mainland adventurers. Fears over scam centres and the high-profile kidnapping of a Chinese actor in January have kept tourists away from Thailand, sending its arrivals from China plummeting about 35% this year.

Vietnam's boom is part of a major realignment in Southeast Asia's multi-billion-dollar tourism industry, coming largely at the expense of regional titan Thailand. The redirection potentially means $3.5 billion in lost revenue for Thailand that's now going to Vietnam and other neighbours, according to China Trading Desk, which tracks Chinese travel and credit card spending. The shift is driven by a new wave of independent Chinese travellers, signalling a fundamental change in the preferences of the world’s largest travel market.

“For this new group of Chinese travellers, Vietnam offers something fresh,’ said Subramania Bhatt, CEO of China Trading Desk. “Many visitors feel Vietnam is more off the track, a bit more authentic.”

Vietnam has logged a record-breaking nearly 14 million foreign arrivals so far this year, with visitors from China — its biggest source market — posting a 44% year-on-year gain through August.