Vietnam is steadily strengthening its brand on the international stage, especially within the Asian markets, with recent reports highlighting its increasing tourism appeal. The Outbox Company released findings indicating strong interest from Asian travelers, not only for visiting Vietnam but also for recommending it to friends and family, thereby showcasing a strong overall brand position.
The research assessed Vietnam’s tourism brand strength as part of its analysis of eight major source markets across Asia, excluding China. The findings were revealed on February 28, 2025, by The Outbox Company, which specializes in market research within the travel and hospitality sectors. Notable metrics included Destination Brand Strength (DBS), Net Promoter Score (NPS), attractiveness, and the likelihood of visiting Vietnam within the next 12 months.
According to the report, travelers from Indonesia, Thailand, and India rated Vietnam's tourism brand highest, achieving scores of 142.8, 138.8, and 138.2 respectively. This reflects not only the positive brand image but also indicates strong satisfaction levels among these tourists.
Conversely, countries like Japan and Taiwan scored lower on the index with scores of 106.9 and 103.4, highlighting untapped potential and areas needing improvement to attract tourists from these regions. The average score across Asia was measured at 127.5, indicating Vietnam's competitive position, yet signaling room for enhancement.
The NPS is particularly telling, as it measures the likelihood of visitors recommending Vietnam as a destination to others. High scores from Indonesians at 51.0, Thais at 49.3, and Indians at 39.0 showcase enthusiastic endorsement. On the opposite end, Japan and Taiwan reported negative NPS values of -3.4 and -12.8, respectively. These figures suggest travelers from these nations may even dissuade others from visiting, potentially undermining Vietnam’s image.
Such findings lead to pressing questions about how to improve real experiences for travelers and how to tailor marketing strategies to meet the expectations of Japanese and Taiwanese tourists. The overall NPS average for Vietnam across Asia is currently at 26.0, indicating positive travel sentiment; yet enhancing the overall experience remains pivotal for boosting satisfaction and encouraging recommendations.
The report assesses Vietnam's destination brand health through knowledge metrics, familiarity, destination appeal, and visiting trends. While Vietnam maintains relatively high attractiveness for repeat visits, challenges remain, particularly with markets where awareness and familiarity are lacking, evidenced by the much lower perception scores from Japan and Taiwan.
To mitigate these shortcomings, the research suggests elevatory strategies for destination branding, fostering new tourism products, and proactively addressing the concerns of less responsive markets. Given the high brand ratings from countries like Thailand and Indonesia, efforts should also focus on leveraging word-of-mouth recommendations, establishing return guest incentive programs, and disseminate content driven by traveler experiences.
A significant observation from the report is the effectiveness of Vietnam’s tourism campaigns. Recent initiatives reflect varied marketing channels utilized and indicate encouraging success rates concerning traveler familiarization. Approximately 67% of visitors from Thailand and 61% from Taiwan reported exposure to Vietnam's promotional strategies, showcasing the solid marketing communication groundwork laid by Vietnamese tourism authorities.
Nonetheless, the penetration of awareness remains inconsistent; Singapore is cited as the market with the lowest recognition at 38.9%. Meanwhile, the lack of awareness from markets such as Malaysia and India indicates more extensive strategic communication is needed to improve brand visibility.
While DBS scores reflect positive sentiment overall, comparisons with key Southeast Asian competitors, including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, indicate various limitations impacting Vietnam's competitive ability. It's notable even within the lucrative South Korean tourism market, Vietnam ranks second behind Singapore in terms of tourism brand strength.
For Vietnam to exploit the growth potential reflected by the number of international tourists, it's imperative to reassess and strategize its brand marketing and destination positioning. The incremental growth of traveler numbers indicates promise, yet branding strength and destination viability metrics point to the need for enhancements to cultivate stable and competitive tourism sustainably.
Brand experts suggest Vietnam will require imaginative and effective approaches to marketing its tourism brand. The current engagement strategies, backed by consistent improvement and inventive marketing, are considered fundamental to establishing Vietnam's status as not just another destination, but as one of Asia's premier tourism hotspots.
With the focus on enhancing visitor experiences and refining marketing approaches reflective of nuanced behaviors and preferences, Vietnam is poised to tighten its grip on the Asian tourism narrative, providing compelling reasons for travelers to explore its rich cultural heritages and breathtaking landscapes.
Through continued investment and innovation, combined with increased awareness-building efforts, the Vietnamese tourism brand stands on the verge of significant growth within the competitive Asian market.