Why is Vietnam becoming so popular? - What About Vietnam S6-E10

Why is Vietnam suddenly everywhere right now?

Not just on your social feeds…but in real conversations between travellers looking for somewhere that still feels exciting, welcoming, affordable… and genuinely different.

In this episode of the award-winning What About Vietnam podcast, I unpack why Vietnam is having such a powerful moment in global travel — and why I believe this rise is only just beginning.

From the shift in how Vietnam is perceived globally… to the incredible value it offers families, solo travellers, couples and long-stay visitors… this episode explores what’s really driving the surge in interest.

Because Vietnam today isn’t just about ticking off famous landmarks.

It’s about:
 • eating incredible regional food on tiny plastic stools
 • luxury hotels at surprisingly affordable prices
 • beaches, mountains, cities and culture all in one trip
 • feeling safe while still feeling adventurous
 • and connecting with people in a way many travellers say they’ve lost elsewhere

I also share what I’m personally seeing on the ground through trip planning conversations, traveller feedback, and years of returning to Vietnam myself.

And perhaps the biggest shift of all?

Vietnam is no longer simply being compared to places like Bali or Thailand.

It’s becoming the destination people are choosing first.

If Vietnam has been sitting quietly on your travel wish list…
 this episode might explain why now could be the time to move it to the top.

Episode Highlights:
 • Why Vietnam’s global image has changed dramatically
 • How affordability is reshaping longer stays and family travel
 • The huge variety of experiences available across the country
 • Why travellers increasingly describe Vietnam as welcoming and safe
 • How social media and word-of-mouth are accelerating interest
 • What makes Vietnam feel different from many other destinations right now

Timestamps:
 00:01:19 – Vietnam’s rising travel popularity
 00:08:11 – The value of travelling in Vietnam
 00:11:39 – The diversity of experiences on offer
 00:15:17 – Personalised travel and planning Vietnam well

If this episode sparks your curiosity about Vietnam, you can also explore personalised trip planning services through What About Vietnam.

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Transcript

Kerry Newsome: Xin chào and welcome to What About Vietnam? I hope you're enjoying the one question at a time series as much as I am because I'm getting to answer those questions that seem to pop up in lots and lots of places and you know cover them off as best as I can from my own experience. Now there seems to be a question that I don't know, for one of a better reason is floating around in a lot of conversations lately. And it says quite a bit about what's happening in travel right now, like in a very broad context. And that is why is Vietnam suddenly everywhere? Why is Vietnam becoming so popular right now? not just on social feeds but in real conversations and in the number of people now seriously considering it who probably wouldn't have even given it a thought a year ago. And from where I'm sitting, speaking to travelers, because I'm, you know, putting plans together, working through their, you know, trip ideas and spending time on the ground in Vietnam, something has definitely shifted. Vietnam, you know, hasn't just kind of quietly grown in popularity. It's a real movement. It's having a real moment. It's becoming loud, to be honest, and in some places almost a little bit overhyped for one of a better way to talk about it. Everyone's blogging about it. Everyone's got a TikTok on it. Like when I started this podcast, you know, over five years ago, there was hardly anyone talking about Vietnam. It was slowly simmering in the background and little by little it was starting to get some notoriety. But it had big competitors like Thailand, like Malaysia, like Bali. Now it's just full on Vietnam. Everyone is talking about it. It's undeniable. And what's interesting is It's not just one reason that's driving it. Vietnam's rise right now, it's kind of not accidental. Vietnam has put a major, I guess, force behind being very intentional about their marketing and promotion. I mean, even me winning the award last year for multimedia and promotion of Vietnam, you know, me to win that from the country that I talk about was just a huge buzz for me. But it's said to me also that the country is proud of its people that are promoting Vietnam to the rest of the world and to the Western world in particular, where probably for many, many years it's been misunderstood and maybe clouded in the Vietnam War or the American War. that it was once, you know, touted to, you know, just that that's the only way people thought about Vietnam was in that context. But that's certainly changed. 

But if you're looking at the world right now, travel feels a little different. There's ongoing tension in parts of the Middle East still. You know, I'm sitting here in May. Conflicts like, you know, what's happening around Iran, air routes shifting, longer flight paths, rising costs, jet fuel pricing, you know, that is constant in our feeds at the moment. And, you know, people are paying attention to that. not always consciously or every day, but it's there sitting underneath their decisions. And what I'm seeing is this quiet shift. People aren't necessarily, you know, traveling less. They're just becoming a bit more considered about where they go. So for you, when you're looking at places that you want to feel are stable, welcoming, good value, and relatively easy once you get there, Vietnam for you can step into that space very confidently and give you the kind of holiday that you deserve, you absolutely deserve. 

So let's just pause on that for a second because I know this question sits underneath a lot of, you know, your travel options. Firstly, is it safe? I've done many episodes talking about solo traveling and safety. And I can speak from the heart of experience in saying that if you have any essence of common sense, your time in Vietnam as a respectful traveler, you know that saying, when you're in Rome, do as the Romans, as a respectful traveler, you are going to feel very safe. Vietnam on the ground feels vibrant, busy and very much open. You know, my recent trip just in April, you know, in the thick of things happening, you know, and, you know, my feet full of tension and anxiety around, you know, what was going to happen with the war in Iran. I didn't know really what to expect in Vietnam. And I thought, oh, you know, grab shares like, you know, Grab are going to be more expensive. Food's going to be more expensive. You know, hotel prices are going to be more expensive. So, I went to Vietnam with a very open mind about that. But I think what I came out of was, sure, some things are more expensive, but Vietnam was just getting on with it. Grab was no more expensive. When I talked to Vietnamese friends, they were just saying, you know, like, you know, consider where we've come from. You know, we just have to get on with life. We have to just trust the process of life. And, you know, tourism is moving so fast to Vietnam that they haven't got any choice. But the the piece that I want to share with you here about its level of popularity I think is coming still from value. Value, you bang for buck, or you bang for dong, really. So whilst you're going to see a hike in prices in some areas, and I know even for myself, hotels, I was paying, you know, probably about 20 to 30% more than I had previously. I still had to, you know, give myself a bit of a shake and say, you know, what would I pay for this back in my own country? And, you know, there's just no comparison for value. Value is the word for Vietnam. It's honestly something you really need to consider. Your per night stay, your per meal cost, your per trip from A to B, your internal flight costs, you know, your shopping value. It's something that I really want you to think about in trip planning and use as a guide. Value. So something else I want to talk about which I think kind of sits or aligns with that area of value is with value comes your ability to spend more time. So for me, you know, I spent two and a half weeks in a hotel. And you know, I would never consider doing that in my own country. I couldn't afford to, to be honest. And I wouldn't want to because I don't see the value. But when I'm staying in a hotel for two and a half weeks, In Hoi An, I'm paying about $70 a night, which includes my breakfast. I'm thinking, this isn't hardship, this is value. This is where I can, when I'm trip planning for people, I'm not saying I can get every place and every hotel at that kind of rate, but you know, I know I can bring value to your trip. Because I've lived it, I've done it. And if you say you've got time on your hands and you want to spend it a little bit more in that slow travel space so that you can pace your days, you don't have to do something every day. You can do something every second day and you're not having to pack up and move and, you know, get a coach or go by train or fly somewhere else every second or third day. You know, you can really pace your travel because you can afford to, because the value is there. You can add an extra day in because it's affordable. And even things like when you check out, you're checking out at lunchtime. So you don't have to bust a gut to get out the door by, you know, eight or nine o'clock, gobble down your breakfast and be out by ten like you have to do in my country. You know, and it's little, just tiny little things like that that makes sense when you're seeing Vietnam as a really popular place at the moment to visit, because there's these kinds of reasons that are driving it. The other aspect that I want to add into why it's really creeping up in popularity, it's the diversification of things to do. When you visit Vietnam, you can start by trip planning by what you love to do. If you want a beach vacation, it's there. If you want to do some serious trekking or you want a real adventure experience, it's there. If you want to bring the family and you're considering a family trip in other places and it's just exorbitant, it's just too expensive to do, you'll find families are really starting to get value in Vietnam. There's waterfalls, there's theme parks, there's safari parks, there's all kinds of beautiful traditional and and heritage things, make lanterns, paint masks. You know, I discovered in Hoi An just this last trip, a place to do quilling, you know, those really crazy cards that you make, where they kind of open up as you turn over the card and it kind of springs out. I was just so in awe of the variety that now is available and affordable in Vietnam. So why is it creeping up even in the family's social feed agenda? It's because of that. You can eat out generously. You know, you can spend longer visits, time with family and beautiful pools and hotels that are definitely more affordable. You know, beach parasailing that you could definitely not afford in Hawaii, you can definitely afford that in Vietnam. So in trying to explain why Vietnam is I think to diversity in things to do. And number three is the fact that it's a very welcoming, safe place to travel, that you can feel like you are definitely welcome in that country. You can get about in that country. There's no sense of unease or unrest or, you know, political turmoil that could upset your trip. You know, Vietnam's doing a great job in managing the fuel crisis and, you know, every step of the way with their airlines, you know, we might have had a slight change here and a slight change there, but it was pretty low key in the area of any disruption that we had to deal with. I guess in closing I just want to finish with saying that there's not a single reason for the popularity, it's a combination. A world that's travelling more thoughtfully, I think it's a destination that offers that genuine. value, the ability to stay longer, the food like as I covered in the previous episode, you've got such an expansive range of food across all areas. And when that all comes together, people notice and they come and they are coming in busloads. And if Vietnam is starting to feel a little bit more real for you and you want some guidance around that, you know I'm here to plan your trip and you know, give you that tailor-made, customized version according to your budget and your interests. It's a sheer joy for me to do that kind of thing. So, until next time.

SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening. Check out the episode notes for more information. What about Vietnam? Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review and stay tuned for more fun adventures in Vietnam. What about Vietnam?