Over 60 pct of Japanese want to visit Vietnam post Covid: survey

The remainder have no plans to touch down in Vietnam post Covid, according to the survey released Tuesday by intergovernmental organization ASEAN-Japan Center and British-headquartered Marketing Voice.

Regarding impressions of Vietnam, the highest percentage of respondents answered "delicious food" (28.4 percent), followed by rich in history and culture (26.2 percent), famous tourist attractions and historical sites (22.6 percent) and natural landscapes (22 percent), according the survey of 10,000 Japanese aged 20-60.

A total 20.3 percent of respondents chose Vietnam based on recommendations by friends and relatives while 20.3 percent want to travel to Vietnam due to low cost of living. Another 18.3 percent decided to visit Vietnam after reading online travel blogs and reviews while 8 percent follow the advice of travel agencies.

According to the survey, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An are the most favored tourist destinations among Japanese.

Japan was the third largest market source for Vietnamese tourism, after China and South Korea. In 2019, the year before the onset of Covid-19, Vietnam had received 952,000 Japanese tourists, a year-on-year rise of 15 percent.

Vietnam closed its borders and canceled all international flights in March last year, and has since allowed only certain categories of visitors with strict Covid-19 quarantine requirements.