Foreign businesses dominated the online travel agency channel in Vietnam, according to The Outbox Company’s Most Loved Ranking, which surveyed Vietnamese travellers’ preferences and awareness in the first quarter of 2023 (1Q23).
The top online travel agents (OTAs) in 1Q23 are international brands in the travel sector, such as Traveloka, Booking.com, Agoda, Expedia and Trip.com.
There are no domestic OTAs platforms among the top choices of Vietnamese travellers.
Traveloka has experienced tremendous growth thanks to effective campaigns during Lunar New Year 2023, with more than 40% of travellers selecting it in 1Q23, which is 10% more than the second-ranked Booking.com.
One of the main reasons domestic customers prefer foreign OTAs is that they have a head start of about 20 years, with extensive experience in online transactions, global operations and established brand names with a solid reputation and strong financial backing.
According to a report by Google and Temasek, Vietnam’s online travel market is a lucrative industry that may reach US$9bil (RM40bil) in scale by 2025.
However, this market is dominated by foreign OTAs, which account for 80% of the market share, leaving Vietnamese OTAs like Gotadi, VnTrip, Ivivu, and Chudu, Mytour.vn and Vinabooking with only a small percentage of transactions. Vietnam’s tourism consumption trends have undergone significant changes in the past decade due to the emergence of digital technology.
These developments have facilitated the growth of OTAs, both foreign and domestic.
Large hotels report that 40% to 60% of their total revenue comes from OTA channels, primarily foreign OTAs. — Vietnam News/ANN
