Vietnamese people share a love of music, TV shows, films, sports, and travel, creating a unique intersection of interests that is driving a key trend in outbound tourism for 2025.

HO CHI MINH CITY, 30 OCTOBER 2024 – Vietnamese travelers are seeking experiences tied to their pop culture moments, whether it’s attending a music concert, visiting iconic settings from beloved TV dramas, or witnessing a thrilling football match in person, according to new study by Vero.

The Southeast Asian communications consultancy released a white paper titled “Chasing Pop Culture Dreams: How Vietnamese Travelers are Redefining Their Bucket Lists,” revealing a new key driver in Vietnamese outbound travel: pop culture tourism.

As Vietnamese travelers begin planning their travels for the holidays and the Lunar New Year celebration, brands in the travel and hospitality industry can expect that outbound tourism will remain strong in 2025.

Drawing on survey data from over 23,000 Vietnamese respondents across multiple generations during the first half of 2024, as well as social listening analysis, the study found that the middle-class is driving demand for travel. With an increasing disposable income and growing aspirations to explore new destinations, trips abroad are high on the agenda, especially to places that offer immersive cultural experiences and connections to popular media.

Over half of the Vietnamese travelers say that they have made bookings and trip purchases, while 45.9% plan on following suit within the next few months. Some of the most discussed travel destinations for Vietnamese travelers are Thailand, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.

These trips are likely influenced by social media, as people use these platforms as their main source of information (Facebook 58.2% and Instagram 56.3%) and inspiration (Facebook 61.5% and Instagram 59.6%). Meanwhile, TikTok is now considered as a modern-day social travel guide, with 55.6% of respondents utilizing the platform to research destinations, vacations, and travel options. As these spaces also cater to fandoms of all shapes and sizes, they have also become key sites for planning itineraries around one’s beloved media and pop culture phenomena—contributing to the rise of different types of pop culture-inspired travel.

  • Concert tourism refers to how travelers are planning trips around musical events, as exemplified by the pilgrimage made by Vietnamese Swifties to Singapore earlier this year for the Eras Tour, as well as the many Vietnamese travelers making their way to South Korea to witness their favorite K-Pop acts.
  • Set-jetting is a way for travelers to turn fictional worlds into reality by visiting the shooting locations of their favorite TV shows and movies. Case in point: The popularity of the Chinese TV series Meet Yourself has led to a surge in travel interest in its setting of Yunnan, China, among Vietnamese tourists. The popularity of Emily in Paris among Vietnamese audience has also resulted in the surge of search interest for trips to the French capital.
  • Spectator travel is when tourists plan trips to witness sports history unfold, particularly with sports like football and events like the SEA Games, London’s Premier League, and the Olympics. Although this specific type of pop culture travel has not yet fully gained traction, it is poised for growth as more Vietnamese sports fans search destinations tied to major sporting events.

“The demand for real-life experiences born from the desire to live out pop culture dreams is inspiring people in Vietnam to travel, explore destinations, and connect with a cultural phenomenon that resonates with them. They crave exclusivity but also experiences that are worth sharing with their fandom communities, blending personal fulfillment with social engagement,” shares Pham Hoai Anh, Vero’s Head of Client Solutions.

Tourism organizations and hospitality brands eager to capture the attention of this hyper-engaged segment must curate unique and culturally attuned offerings that reflect these passions and create opportunities for memorable, socially amplified moments.

  •  Recognizing the rise of fandom culture is essential. Brands should design experiences tailored for superfans, engage with fan communities, and collaborate with influencer-fans who authentically connect with target audiences.
  •  Highlight the once-in-a-lifetime appeal of your destination. Consider creating exclusive collaborations for travel memorabilia, special film or TV-inspired menus, or themed travel packages centered around musical events or sporting leagues.
  •  Meet travelers’ craving for immersive and shareable social experiences. Turn customers into travel brand advocates by leveraging user-generated content to generate buzz and adopt a long-term approach to events that encourage repeat visits.

“Vietnamese fans are always ready to grab every opportunity to be closer to their favorite artists or visit the settings of their beloved shows. Given the limited number of foreign artists performing in the country, this insatiable hunger for entertainment and cultural connection intensifies, making these experiences feel like once-in-a-lifetime moments. By acknowledging and fostering this enthusiasm, brands and travel organizers can create memorable experiences that fans will cherish forever,” Nguyen Thi Trinh, Vero’s Vice President for Brand Influence, explains.
To read the full study, visit the Vero website.

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ABOUT VERO
Vero is an award-winning strategic communications consultancy, advising some of Southeast Asia’s leading brands, corporations, and non-profit organizations.

B Corp certified across all its offices, and a signatory of the Clean Creative pledge since 2022, Vero adopts a forward-thinking approach to public relations and marketing, striving to enact meaningful change for clients and society at large.

Vero’s team of over 260 PR, social, digital, influence, and creative professionals in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and its partnership in Myanmar, brings unique perspectives to earned media, prioritizing digital technology, creative storytelling, and stakeholder engagement in championing stories of progress. This includes the newest units: Vero IQ, which digs deep for data-driven insights, Vero Xperience, dedicated to redefining brand events in the region and Vero Advocacy, a government-engagement focused strategic advisory.

Listed among the Global Top 250 Agency Ranking by PRovoke Media and winner of numerous Southeast Asia Consultancy of the Year awards, Vero designs integrated marketing and communications strategies that resonate within and across this vibrant region’s digital ecosystems and fast-growing economies.

Visit https://vero-asean.com/