Aram Jeong, who lives in Seoul, has been to Vietnam many times and visited popular destinations for Korean tourists such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hoi An (Quang Nam), Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), Mui Ne (Binh Thuan). In May, she decided to visit Da Lat after watching some reality TV shows filmed in Da Lat about the daily lives of Korean stars.

As soon as she arrived, Jeong felt familiar because the city's cool climate was similar to Seoul. In addition, the female tourist said that the cuisine in Da Lat and Vietnam in general was quite suitable for Korean tourists' taste.

"I like many things in Da Lat, especially the beautiful cafes. The atmosphere of Da Lat is unique," she said. However, the female tourist said she still encountered difficulties during her time in Da Lat due to the lack of foreign language signs. She thinks that tourist facilities in the city and suburbs should add Korean to their signs and menus to better serve tourists from the land of kimchi.

Tourist Min Seok also learned about Da Lat through a TV show and visited the city in February. He commented that the city's climate is much more pleasant than other places in Vietnam. Low travel costs are also a reason why many Korean tourists love this city.

According to Agoda data, in 2023, Korean tourists will still favor traditional destinations in Vietnam as before the pandemic, including Da Nang, Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. However, in the past four months, South Korea has been the international tourist market most interested in Da Lat, ranking above the US, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Realizing the rapid increase in Korean tourists, Viet Challenge Tours, a unit specializing in adventure tours in Da Lat, has opened a separate page to serve this group of tourists.

"People in Da Lat can easily see that the number of Korean tourists is increasing rapidly. They appear everywhere," said a company representative.

According to Viet Challenge Tours, Da Lat has a geography quite similar to Korea with many high mountains and pleasant weather all year round. When mentioning Da Lat, Korean tourists often think of Lang Biang, Cu Lan village and the night market. These are all places that appear in shows on Korean television.

Yeong, a Korean female tourist who came to Da Lat in August after watching positive information about the city on television, said she liked the peaceful scenery in Da Lat, especially in some areas far from the center such as Cu Lan village (Lac Duong, Lam Dong) and Lang Biang.

"Da Lat has only recently gained attention from Koreans. I think it will be a top destination in the future," she said.

According to a survey by VnExpress , Korean TV stations such as MBC, KBS, and SBS broadcast many advertisements about Vietnam tourism. Ozi, who lives in Seoul, said that Da Lat "scores points" in the eyes of Korean tourists thanks to the TV show "I Live Alone". This show was filmed in Da Lat in 2022, bringing Koreans curiosity about street food and landscapes.

"Da Lat is not too crowded and has a lot of great street food. I really like this place," she said.

The female tourist visited Linh Phuoc Pagoda during her trip to Da Lat and was particularly impressed with the architecture of this building. The poetic scenery of Da Lat station was also a highlight of her trip. Ozi added that Da Lat's climate is suitable for enjoying grilled food. This makes Ozi feel familiar with her daily life in Seoul.

The attention of Korean people to Da Lat tourism or the whole Lam Dong province also comes from the efforts to promote the local image. According to Lam Dong Newspaper, Lam Dong and Korea have had many cooperation activities in the field of tourism such as exploiting irregular flights from Jeju/Incheon/Cheongju/Muan to Da Lat; organizing and welcoming famtrip and presstrip groups from Korea to survey tourism services in Da Lat, Lam Dong.

In August, a delegation from Lam Dong province also went to Korea to promote tourism, trade, attract investment in Lam Dong in the fields of tourism, services, and reopen direct flights from Korea to Lien Khuong International Airport (Lam Dong).

Responding to VnExpress , an official in Da Lat said the city has established sister cities with two South Korean localities, Chuncheon and Busan. Every year, delegations from both sides visit and work. In addition, each year, Da Lat also sends an official to South Korea to study and exchange experiences and vice versa.

Da Lat is also a member of the TPO Asia Pacific Cities Tourist Organization, headquartered in Busan. Therefore, promoting the city's image to Korean people is also more effective.

Recently, two accidents in the Cu Lan and Lang Biang villages killed five Korean tourists. However, Ozi does not think Vietnam is an unsafe destination after these two incidents. Mr. Choi, who lives in Seoul and visited Da Lat in August, also believes that Da Lat is still attractive to Korean tourists. The male tourist believes that travel agencies in Vietnam need to prepare more carefully in terms of human resources to avoid similar incidents that would affect the image of the city.

Tu Nguyen