South Korea and Taiwan are among the top three largest international tourist markets to Vietnam, but their satisfaction after the trip is still low. The report “South Korea, Taiwan: Many visitors, low satisfaction” by The Outbox Company – a data analysis company providing solutions for the Asian tourism and travel industry – shows the problem in retaining two important groups of visitors from South Korea and Taiwan. The report is based on a survey of about 4,000 visitors over many periods in 2024. In 2024, the number of South Korean and Taiwanese visitors to Vietnam will reach nearly 4.6 and 1.3 million, respectively – ranking first and third among the markets sending the most visitors. However, Outbox statistics show that the NPS index (measuring satisfaction, willingness to continue using the service and recommending to relatives) of South Korean visitors is 15.3; Taiwan is minus 12.8. The average for the Asia region is 26. With the score of Taiwanese visitors, Outbox is concerned that Vietnam is losing the opportunity to attract both first-time and return visitors. They may not share a positive image of Vietnam tourism. Mr. Dang Manh Phuoc, CEO of Outbox, believes that the problem does not stem from a lack of destination marketing efforts. The Destination Marketing Index (DME), which measures the presence of tourism promotion campaigns in countries, shows that Vietnam has a high level of visibility in South Korea and Taiwan. According to the unit’s survey, Vietnam’s DME in the two markets mentioned above is among the highest in the region, proving that awareness and access are not the main barriers affecting satisfaction. Vietnam’s Destination Brand Strength (DBS) score in the eyes of South Korean tourists is 123.5, while Taiwanese tourists scored 103.4 – the lowest among the surveyed markets and below the average in Asia (127.5). This shows that Vietnam has not created a strong enough brand impression for these two groups of visitors. One of the important reasons leading to the low score is the gap between expectations and reality, according to Outbox. Korean and Taiwanese tourists often expect high quality services, convenience and modern tourism infrastructure. Vietnam is still in the process of development, some factors such as hotel services, transportation, and experiences at the destination have not really met expectations, leading to low satisfaction levels. Competition from regional destinations is also a reason why Vietnam is not different enough for tourists to return. In addition, most Korean and Taiwanese tourists use their mother tongue, while in Vietnam, English is still the main language in communicating with foreign tourists. Tourism infrastructure, including airport performance and local transportation systems, may not fully meet the needs of a large number of tourists from Korea and Taiwan, leading to inconvenience in travel and causing negative feedback. To improve satisfaction, the tourism consultancy suggested that Vietnam needs to improve the tourist experience in many aspects such as intensive training in the hotel industry and multilingual support. Upgrading tourism infrastructure, especially transportation and signage systems in Korean and Mandarin, is necessary to bring convenience. In addition, Vietnam’s tourism products need to be adjusted to better suit the preferences of Korean and Taiwanese tourists, especially in the areas of cuisine, shopping and entertainment. In addition to increasing destination brand recognition, Vietnam should focus on unique experiences to differentiate itself from competitors in the region. “If these limitations are resolved, the large group of tourists from Korea and Taiwan will become a group of loyal and satisfied tourists,” said Mr. Phuoc.