Eating bun cha, drinking coffee, and strolling around
During his visit to Vietnam in May 2016, former US President Barack Obama ate bun cha and drank beer in Hanoi. The table set he sat on is still displayed at the shop, attracting curious customers. Nguyen Thi Lien – the owner of the bun cha shop – said that the shop has become famous and proud with the nickname “bun cha Obama”.
Former US President Barack Obama eating bun cha in Hanoi.
Also in 2016, the then French President François Hollande made an impression when walking in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, showing his interest in the capital’s culture. He and former French exchange students, including Professor Ngo Bao Chau, started from Hang Chinh street, through Ma May street, and then to a café for leisure. Many people were surprised to see foreign leaders on the street.
Notably, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Vietnam four times. In 2017 alone, he came to our country twice. In particular, in November 2017, Abe and Vietnam’s then Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc strolled in Hoi An’s Old Quarter and visited the Japanese Bridge Pagoda…
At the beginning of March 2024, Abe’s wife returned to Vietnam, walked around Hoi An’s Old Quarter, visited the tomb of Japanese businessman Tani Yajirobei, and visited the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Space, where Abe cut the ribbon in 2017.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe walking in Hoi An’s Old Quarter on November 11, 2017 (photo: VGP).
The visits of national leaders to Vietnam to experience the simple cultures of the indigenous people are not unfamiliar to the international community. This shows that our country always leaves a deep impression on influential visitors in terms of politics, ensuring safety for all foreign tourists.
Rich people ride buffaloes, enjoying street beer
In addition to visits and work, many billionaires and celebrities from around the world have come to Vietnam for vacation and to explore the culture.
In December 2011, Mark Zuckerberg – CEO of Meta, Facebook’s parent company – and his wife Priscilla Chan secretly traveled to Vietnam and visited Halong Bay and Sapa.
Mark Zuckerberg riding a buffalo, enjoying the scenery in Sapa.
The most impressive image from this trip was when the multi-billionaire, currently the fourth richest person in the world, experienced riding a buffalo around a stream with the support of local people in Sapa, Lao Cai province. In the village center, Mark Zuckerberg, along with his wife and friends, played a blindfolded goat-catching game.
In December 2023, Jensen Huang – CEO of Nvidia, a technology corporation with a market capitalization of $2 trillion – casually dressed and enjoyed street food in Hanoi with the company’s employees. According to some sources, instead of hosting a luxurious dinner at a hotel or high-end restaurant, he chose street food that is incomparable to anywhere else, such as snails, rolls, and beer.
Nvidia CEO sitting on the sidewalk, enjoying beer like a local.
Before their divorce, world-famous couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie made headlines with their trips to Vietnam. They first came to our country when they were still in love in 2006. Both were seen riding motorcycles to visit Ho Chi Minh City.
The second time, Angelina Jolie came to Vietnam was when she adopted Pax Thien in 2007. After that, the couple took Pax Thien to visit their hometown and vacation in Con Dao in 2011. In 2015, they secretly came to Vietnam, chartering a private plane to visit Halong Bay and staying in Hanoi for a day.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie riding motorcycles on Vietnamese streets in 2006.
Most recently, billionaire Bill Gates and his girlfriend traveled to Da Nang. According to sources, the co-founder of Microsoft stayed at Son Tra Peninsula, known as the green lung of Da Nang city.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index as of March 7, Bill Gates is the fifth richest person in the world. Currently, the Microsoft co-founder owns assets valued at around $148 billion. Meanwhile, the Forbes ranking of the world’s richest billionaires shows that Bill Gates has $126.8 billion and ranks seventh. In particular, this billionaire currently owns 111,288 hectares of real estate in the US.
After stepping down as Microsoft’s CEO, Bill Gates focused on developing business and charity projects. Some sources estimate that the businessman’s daily income ranges from $7.6 to $10.95 million.
Billionaire Bill Gates playing sports at Son Tra Peninsula on the afternoon of March 7.
How do these special visits impact Vietnam’s tourism?
Tran Van Khoa, Director of Jack Tran Tours Hoi An, who used to be the tour guide for former Finnish President Tarja Halonen in 2008, stated that reputation and trust are what attract more tourists to Vietnam.
“I had the honor to serve the former Finnish President through my friend at the Finnish embassy at that time. Before that, I had met and completed the task of taking the ambassador to visit indigenous areas of Hoi An,” Tran Van Khoa recalled.
Tran Van Khoa personally guiding a tour for Tarja Halonen – former Finnish President.
According to the tour guide, to target upscale guests, service providers need to understand their psychology. For special personal trips, what celebrities desire the most is privacy, tranquility, and avoiding crowded places.
“These special guests, though friendly and comfortable, are very picky in choosing destinations. They always have an independent security team. When they see the places they are about to visit are too crowded with fans and could affect the safety of their families, they are ready to cancel the schedule, even if they have booked a table at the most upscale restaurant,” shared Tran Van Khoa.
In addition, the company director believes that to attract celebrities, our country needs to offer unique tourism products associated with historical and natural values that can touch the hearts of tourists. At the same time, we must create a sense of hosting a close friend at home with a friendly but sophisticated attitude, rather than simply providing services.
On the occasion of billionaire Bill Gates’ visit to Vietnam, tourism experts and representatives of travel businesses hope that media outlets will continue to promote more positive and realistic images of Vietnamese tourism in order to ensure the privacy of this individual.
In addition to stepping up publicity, the government is expected to quickly implement policies to relax visa requirements and compete with other ASEAN countries to attract more tourists to our country.
Foreign tourists want to experience rustic activities.
Vu Van Tuyen, CEO of Travelogy Vietnam, believes that besides abundant tourism resources, what Vietnam has as an advantage over other countries for attracting famous figures and tourists lies in trust and friendliness. This becomes more evident after the pandemic.
“Vietnam has been welcoming international tourists even when the COVID-19 pandemic still existed. However, when coming into contact with foreigners, in addition to ensuring anti-pandemic measures, most Vietnamese people still show great hospitality and pure guest appreciation. Therefore, our country’s tourism culture has earned trust in the international market, consistently attracting special guests,” shared the CEO.
