Summer Travel 2025: Green, Slow and Cultural Experience Trends

The summer of 2025 marks many interesting changes in Vietnamese people's travel habits. Instead of "racing to check-in" like before, tourists are increasingly looking for profound experiences, connected with nature, culture and relaxation. At the same time, tourists tend to use technology and social networks to proactively explore their travel journeys according to their interests and financial capabilities.

Beaches and green tourist attractions attract visitors

Nha Trang beach stretches as far as the eye can see with clear blue water, attracting many tourists to come for relaxation and entertainment. Photo: Hoang Hieu/VNA

Since the beginning of May, the tourism atmosphere at many domestic destinations has become vibrant. Search data on the Booking.com platform during the two peak summer tourist months (June and July) shows that beach trips are still the top priority for Vietnamese tourists. Specifically, up to 61% of families choose coastal destinations, 59% tend to explore nature, and experience traveling to big cities. The most searched domestic destinations include: Ha Long (Quang Ninh), Cat Ba (Hai Phong), Sam Son (Thanh Hoa), Da Nang, Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) and Vung Tau ( Ba Ria - Vung Tau ).

Most travel agencies have recorded an increase in tour bookings on traditional routes such as: Ha Long, Da Nang - Hoi An, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Quy Nhon... Major travel agencies such as: Vietravel, VietSense Travel, BestPrice Travel, Saigontourist ... have launched attractive promotional tour programs to attract domestic tourists with the expectation that the number of tourists this summer could increase by 15-20% compared to the same period in 2024.

Among the destinations associated with sea tourism, Da Nang city this year attracted great attention when organizing the International Fireworks Festival lasting from late May to mid-July 2025 with the theme "Da Nang - New Era". Da Nang plans to organize 20 activities and events with 8 main activities, 12 connecting activities and activities at tourist areas and spots including: Da Nang International Fireworks Festival; Enjoy Da Nang Festival, tourism connection festivals between Vietnam - ASEAN; Vietnam - Japan; Vietnam - Korea; IRONMAN swimming - cycling - running competition, Asian film festival... The series of events contributes to creating unique highlights, enhancing the attractiveness of the coastal city to domestic and international tourists.

Although she has been to Da Nang many times, in the summer of 2025, Ms. Tran Ngoc Ha (Lang Son) still chose this livable coastal city for her family's trip because in addition to the beautiful beaches and friendly people, this place has many options that make each visit a different, memorable experience and makes her want to come back.

In Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), the 2025 Sea Festival will take place with more than 30 activities, art events, sea sports, culinary fairs, and island-connecting tours attracting a large number of tourists to the coastal city. Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh) is considered a new destination with great potential with rapid development in sea, ecological and cultural tourism. Culinary experience tours, sightseeing tours of famous landscapes, historical sites, and "Ve mien do Vo" train tours are increasingly attracting visitors.

Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) continues to maintain its position as a high-end tourist destination with synchronously upgraded infrastructure, long beaches and luxury resorts attracting families, groups of young people and international visitors. According to Ms. Dao Thi Kim Lan (Royal Travel), Phu Quoc tourism is developing according to 3 trends: high-end resorts, green tourism and personalized experiences. More and more tourists come to Phu Quoc not only to enjoy the natural beauty, swim in the sea, enjoy seafood but also to seek personal experiences, health care and energy regeneration.

In addition to coastal areas, the Southwest and the Northern mountainous regions also offer many options for tourists. Provinces and cities such as Can Tho, An Giang, Dong Thap, Ca Mau, etc. stand out with their unique river ecosystems, fertile lands, and temperate climates, making them ideal choices for tourists who love ecotourism and exploring indigenous cultures. The Northern mountainous region, with routes to explore landmarks in the provinces of Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Son La, etc., also attracts many visitors thanks to increasingly convenient transportation infrastructure, upgraded accommodation services, diverse trekking tours, and ethnic minority cultural experience services.

This summer, Ms. Tran Thanh Huyen (Ha Nam) and her family chose Lao Cai as their destination. “Traveling to Lao Cai, I want to enjoy the atmosphere in Sapa, visit Cat Cat village and try to climb Fansipan peak. This is a journey to experience the local lifestyle - slow, profound and full of emotions. Each Dao, H'Mong, Tay village is a miniature world preserving the beauty of traditional culture, meticulous brocade embroidery, Then singing, Khen sounds, dances or local dishes are endless sources of attraction for tourists", Ms. Thanh Huyen shared.

Currently, 3-night tours to Lao Cai (Sa Pa), traveling by night train or tourist car, cost from 2-3 million/person. The cost is suitable for tourists to choose. Besides, independent travel here is also very simple and convenient because the services to serve the needs of tourists are developed and information can be easily found online.

Tech-savvy travelers

Golden afternoon in Sapa. Photo: Quoc Khanh / VNA

The change in the way of traveling also leads to a change in the way of planning and experiencing. If in the past Vietnamese people relied heavily on package tours, now the trend of self-sufficient travel, booking services online and personalizing itineraries is becoming more and more popular. This also puts pressure on travel businesses to innovate their approach, develop products and effective communication channels.

Mr. Tran Duong Duy (Tran Gia Travel) said that in the context of fierce competition in tourism, many units have used new communication channels such as: TikTok, YouTube, using celebrities (KOL, KOC) to promote products. In addition to building flexible and diverse service packages from full packages to individual packages to best meet the needs of tourists, travel companies also actively provide knowledge and advice to customers about attractive destinations and how to avoid overcrowding, causing overload, affecting the quality of the experience.

In addition, tourists' needs are also shifting towards prioritizing personalized experiences, being friendly with nature and connecting with local culture. The trend of sustainable tourism, slow tourism, exploring indigenous culture, trekking, staying at homestays... is becoming more and more popular. Tourists want to delve deeper into the life, customs, and protecting the natural environment at the destination instead of rushing and checking in at many places on the journey.

The development of technology, especially online booking applications, facilitates tourists to easily take the initiative in choosing means of transportation, accommodation and sightseeing activities. A smartphone can replace the role of a traditional travel agent, helping customers easily search for information, compare prices and book services in just a few simple steps. This not only increases flexibility but also helps tourists save costs and time.

Summer tourism in 2025 is recording a shift from the need to “travel a lot – see quickly” to “experience deeply – live slowly”. Technology has become a powerful assistant, helping tourists proactively design their itinerary according to their interests, budgets and personal lifestyles. The demands of tourists to enjoy green values, indigenous culture and sustainable tourism require the tourism industry to focus on content depth, product personalization and development of environmentally friendly services. This is an opportunity for localities and businesses to make flexible changes, towards building more civilized, sustainable and responsible tourism services to the community.

According to VNA

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/du-lich-he-2025-xu-huong-xanh-cham-va-trai-nghiem-van-hoa-20250606101837696.htm