Policies needed to attract retired travellers: industry experts

A group of tourists at Hoàn Kiếm Lake in downtown Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI Việt Nam has great potential to become a popular destination among retired travellers worldwide, according to tourism industry’s experts and insiders.

The market segment, consisting of big spenders who often prefer longer stays, has been considered a lucrative business sector by the industry. Retirees from the Americas, Europe and Asia have been looking for residences abroad with favourable weather, climate, access to healthcare services and affordable living costs.

A survey conducted by Morning Consult, an American business intelligence company, said travelling in retirement has become an increasingly popular trend among intellectuals and entrepreneurs, who aim for early retirement aboard.

Meanwhile, Việt Nam has long been included among the more popular destinations for retirees in the Southeast Asia region. Earlier this year, American travel magazine Travel+Leisure listed the country among a list of eight most affordable destinations for older travellers.

Last year, investing.com included the ancient city of Hội An and the modern coastal city of Đà Nẵng among its top nine destinations for retirees thanks to the Southeast Asian country’s efforts to upgrade its infrastructure, healthcare and services over recent decades.

However, in comparison to neighbouring Thailand, retirement tourism remains an untapped market in Việt Nam, according to industry insiders, as the country lacks policies to make the offer more attractive to retirees, especially when other countries in the region have introduced retirement visas for foreigners.

They advised the government to take action to capture the market segment, which can provide a significant boost to the local economy, including implementing policies favourable to retirees while upgrading local infrastructures and improving living standards.

Researchers from the Institute for Tourism Development Research under the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism advised the industry not to overlook domestic customers, as the number of local retirees has been on the rise in recent decades.

They claimed that some of the most important factors for retirees included clean and quiet environments, communication, transportation and relaxation. Favourite activities among retirees included cultural, historical and spiritual trips.

Tours aimed at retirees must be designed differently to make sure there is sufficient time for resting. Retirees also often prefer a diet with less oil, fat and strong spices and during travel, there must be professionals assigned to monitor retirees’ health. They added that many elderly travellers have shown interest in Vietnamese traditional and herbal medicines. – VNS