28 June 2024
Foreign visitors come to Ho Chi Minh City for hairdressing and shopping due to lower prices.
Xianne, from Singapore, mentioned that beauty treatments and shopping in HCMC are 3-4 times cheaper compared to Singapore, with similar service quality.
Before her November trip to HCMC, Xianne researched travel advisory websites and social media to plan her 3-day, 2-night itinerary. Unlike European trips focused on popular landmarks, Xianne's Saigon journey revolved around dining, visiting coffee shops, shopping for clothes, and beauty treatments.
Xianne discovered hair salons and clothing stores through TikTok reviews that are known mostly to locals. She visited a salon in District 1's alley to cut and dye her hair at unexpectedly low costs.
She noted that these prices were 3-4 times cheaper than in Singapore for similar services. Despite the affordability, customer service was "excellent," and the salon used reputable hair care products.
![travel to vietnam and experience hair salon services](/photos/news/vietnam/hair-salon.jpg)
"Saigon is a paradise for shopping and beauty treatments; I will definitely come back many times," Xianne said.
The Singaporean tourist found language differences the biggest challenge when shopping in Saigon. Hair salon staff struggled to communicate with her, relying on translation software for consultations and price quotes.
Previously, social media buzzed with images and information about Lisa, a member of the band Blackpink, visiting Saigon for half a day solely to shop. The singer and her friend visited popular youth shopping spots like 26 Ly Tu Trong Apartment, The New Playground, and 42 Ton That Thiep Apartment.
"I learned about these shopping spots thanks to information about Lisa. These places are rarely featured on mainstream travel guides," Xianne noted.
Nguyen Huy Hoang, Vietnam Market Director at Klook, an e-commerce platform for travel experiences, observed an increasing trend of tourists coming to HCMC for beauty treatments and shopping. These services are diverse and have the potential to match leading beauty centers in Korea or Thailand in quality, sometimes even better, for a lower cost. However, beauty establishments in HCMC are still relatively small-scale and have yet to fully develop as a tourism product. Hence, their contribution to the tourism revenue remains modest, around 5%, compared to accommodations or sightseeing.
Overall, dental and hair services in Vietnam are 3-4 times cheaper than in Singapore, Australia, or Korea, with service quality highly regarded.
***
Travel Authentic Asia Company is your best choice for discovering the beauty of Southeast Asia. Our experienced and knowledgeable travel advisors are committed to helping you create a tailor-made tour and extraordinary experiences in this majestic region.
If you're looking for an authentic cultural experience, do not hesitate to contact Travel Authentic Asia to choose a Vietnam tour, Southeast Asia tour package or to customize your own style tour to South East Asia.