Foreigner tourists

Guestposter822Guest11 July 2022 11:34:32

Hi, just wondering what it's like in Vietnam now. Are there foreign tourists there now ? has the economy survived the Covid ? the reason i ask is last time I was there in a downturn I noticed the amount of theft increased significantly, bag snatching, phone theft etc. I just don't want to be the only foreigner walking around !

gobot ViP

Member since 17 January 2014

gobotViP11 July 2022 12:47:20

1430

I have no data, just observations. Motoring around Saigon last weekend, saw just a few white tourists, like the amount we saw back in May. Saw no groups of Chinese. Bui Vien just a few with new sneakers, no backpackers, the bars open but empty, probably busy at night though. At Sky Garden in D7, the long walking esplanade between buildings was so empty. Maybe the working Koreans haven't come back yet?

Economy seems ok. Traffic is back. There are closed businesses here and there. The Vivo City mall, and Van Hanh mall last week, were packed, maybe that means Vietnamese have money to spend.

I see the carriers to SFO are back: Korean, EVA, China (Taiwan), Philippines. But the RT prices are high in July and August, down to pre-covid normal $800 in September.

If you saw thefts during covid, that probably had more to do with the lockdowns than with westerners.

OceanBeach92107 VIP Member

Member since 31 January 2018

OceanBeach92107VIP Member11 July 2022 14:21:48

7532

Hi, just wondering what it's like in Vietnam now. Are there foreign tourists there now ? has the economy survived the Covid ? the reason i ask is last time I was there in a downturn I noticed the amount of theft increased significantly, bag snatching, phone theft etc. I just don't want to be the only foreigner walking around !
- @panda7

There is a face.book "visa advice" group with about 30,000 members, with MANY of them asking daily about 30 day eVisas and visa border runs to Mộc Bài, giving the impression that there has been a significant uptick in tourism since March 15th.

But in reality I suspect that a lot of those people making inquiries are choosing to wait hopefully for longer-term visas to be available.

My Vietnam Airlines flight from San Francisco to HCMC (arrived July 4th) was fully packed, yet I only saw two other caucasians when the plane was loading.

My sense (based on the amount of boxes I saw as excess accompanied baggage) is that there has been a resumption in regular travels by the Việt Kiều population in the USA.

Now I'm in Vũng Tàu and I certainly don't see as many obvious foreigners walking the streets or hanging out at some foreigner-friendly bars/restaurants as I did when I previously lived here.

My fiancée and I shopped at Lotte Mart today (a good crowd for a Monday) and I recall seeing only one caucasian woman there.

I'll be spending the next three days in HCMC, and it will be interesting to see if any of the tourist spots are hot again.

I always like to stop in at Bến Thành Market for Mì Quảng breakfast (prepared by my favorite vendor there) so I'll definitely get a good clue regarding general tourist traffic when I see how crowded it is.

I got the best deal ever for our stay at Hotel Continental Saigon, which leads me to believe that demand for hotel rooms is still down.

But the general economy (aside from tourism) is continuing to generate up to 4-hour traffic nightmares between Vũng Tàu and HCMC, so the truckers are still in business.

Meanwhile, when you come, check the back of your shirt to make sure somebody didn't stick a "Rob Me! I'm A Foreigner!" sign there...

goodolboy ViP

Member since 08 February 2020

goodolboyViP11 July 2022 17:21:16

2325

Hi, just wondering what it's like in Vietnam now. Are there foreign tourists there now ? has the economy survived the Covid ? the reason i ask is last time I was there in a downturn I noticed the amount of theft increased significantly, bag snatching, phone theft etc. I just don't want to be the only foreigner walking around !
- @panda7
There is a face.book "visa advice" group with about 30,000 members, with MANY of them asking daily about 30 day eVisas and visa border runs to Mộc Bài, giving the impression that there has been a significant uptick in tourism since March 15th.

But in reality I suspect that a lot of those people making inquiries are choosing to wait hopefully for longer-term visas to be available.

My Vietnam Airlines flight from San Francisco to HCMC (arrived July 4th) was fully packed, yet I only saw two other caucasians when the plane was loading.

My sense (based on the amount of boxes I saw as excess accompanied baggage) is that there has been a resumption in regular travels by the Việt Kiều population in the USA.

Now I'm in Vũng Tàu and I certainly don't see as many obvious foreigners walking the streets or hanging out at some foreigner-friendly bars/restaurants as I did when I previously lived here.

My fiancée and I shopped at Lotte Mart today (a good crowd for a Monday) and I recall seeing only one caucasian woman there.

I'll be spending the next three days in HCMC, and it will be interesting to see if any of the tourist spots are hot again.

I always like to stop in at Bến Thành Market for Mì Quảng breakfast (prepared by my favorite vendor there) so I'll definitely get a good clue regarding general tourist traffic when I see how crowded it is.

I got the best deal ever for our stay at Hotel Continental Saigon, which leads me to believe that demand for hotel rooms is still down.

But the general economy (aside from tourism) is continuing to generate up to 4-hour traffic nightmares between Vũng Tàu and HCMC, so the truckers are still in business.

as a nice sort of relaxing alternative traveling from Vung Tau to HCMC the ferry that goes from Vung Tau to Can Gio District makes a change & the road is empty of trucks & busses & very few cars till you hit HCMC. Takes about the same time actually traveling including the ferry time but not including waiting for the ferry.

Meanwhile, when you come, check the back of your shirt to make sure somebody didn't stick a "Rob Me! I'm A Foreigner!" sign there...
- @OceanBeach92107

OceanBeach92107 VIP Member

Member since 31 January 2018

OceanBeach92107VIP Member12 July 2022 00:09:27

7532

...as a nice sort of relaxing alternative traveling from Vung Tau to HCMC the ferry that goes from Vung Tau to Can Gio District makes a change & the road is empty of trucks & busses & very few cars till you hit HCMC. Takes about the same time actually traveling including the ferry time but not including waiting for the ferry. @GoodOlBoy

Yeah, I'm normally a big fan of that service but now I hobble around with a prosthetic boot and cane, sometimes using my mobility scooter.

We are planning on taking my scooter (disassembled) with us in the back of my regular driver's SUV (we did a test run yesterday at Lotte Mart) and we'll how much I can easily use it in the Opera House/Nguyễn Huệ/Bến Nghé area.

Maybe next time we will go without the scooter and take the relaxing boat ride.

Aidan in HCMC Vietnam Expert

Member since 23 December 2017

Aidan in HCMCVietnam Expert12 July 2022 01:29:46

4276

Meanwhile, when you come, check the back of your shirt to make sure somebody didn't stick a "Rob Me! I'm A Foreigner!" sign there... - @OceanBeach92107

I'm pretty sure you could, for the sake of brevity, lose the "I'm a foreigner" part

goodolboy ViP

Member since 08 February 2020

goodolboyViP12 July 2022 01:38:22

2325

...as a nice sort of relaxing alternative traveling from Vung Tau to HCMC the ferry that goes from Vung Tau to Can Gio District makes a change & the road is empty of trucks & busses & very few cars till you hit HCMC. Takes about the same time actually traveling including the ferry time but not including waiting for the ferry. @GoodOlBoy
Yeah, I'm normally a big fan of that service but now I hobble around with a prosthetic boot and cane, sometimes using my mobility scooter.

We are planning on taking my scooter (disassembled) with us in the back of my regular driver's SUV (we did a test run yesterday at Lotte Mart) and we'll how much I can easily use it in the Opera House/Nguyễn Huệ/Bến Nghé area.

Maybe next time we will go without the scooter and take the relaxing boat ride.
- @OceanBeach92107

Yea that might be difficult going that rout right enough (as a matter of interest I am talking about the new car ferry that started eventually 2021) & I forgot there is a second very busy but short ferry crossing at Phà Bình Khánh. But anyways it makes a nice change from dodging trucks & diesel fumes on the main highway & an interesting break can be had fighting the monkeys at the VietCong swamp museum .

OceanBeach92107 VIP Member

Member since 31 January 2018

OceanBeach92107VIP Member13 July 2022 07:26:34

7532

Hi, just wondering what it's like in Vietnam now. Are there foreign tourists there now ? has the economy survived the Covid ? the reason i ask is last time I was there in a downturn I noticed the amount of theft increased significantly, bag snatching, phone theft etc. I just don't want to be the only foreigner walking around !
- @panda7

I Just spent the morning doing errands all around HCMC and here's general feedback for you:

If you want to spend your time in a tourist area, you will probably be disappointed because there are a lot of stores closed and showing signs for rent.

Not many tourists seen on the streets at all in D1.

But if you're going to spend your time in other areas of HCMC, then you will probably not be disappointed in that there seems to be a thriving economy here, aside from tourism.

Malcolmleitrim Serial expat

Member since 18 June 2019

MalcolmleitrimSerial expat15 July 2022 09:09:33

229

I've just returned from a month in Vietnam and my observations are:

Saigon, much as normal before Covid.

Vung Tau, busy with vietnamese but almost no foreigners.

Ninh Binh, Tam Coc, much quieter than before Covid, lots of restaurants and homestays closed.

Hanoi, the expat area of Tay Ho much quieter than before, but old quarter still busy.

The general feeling amongst the locals seems to be that things will pick up in the autumn.

OceanBeach92107 VIP Member

Member since 31 January 2018

OceanBeach92107VIP Member15 July 2022 10:10:53

#10

7532

When I left my D1 hotel today to return to Vũng Tàu, the office manager I know well stopped me and was almost begging us to return as soon as possible.

She said they hardly have any foreigners staying there now.