Vietnamese travelers are ready to pack their bags and head out, but hygiene and safety measures of their accommodations are weighing heavily on the minds of the nation’s traveling public. A new study conducted by digital travel platform, Agoda, seeks to understand just what local travelers are looking for when they book their hotels, resorts and homestays.

Daily Room Disinfection led the way with Vietnamese respondents, with 24% of Vietnamese travellers considering a diligent Housekeeping department as their top health priority when it comes to choose a property.

Vietnam led the region in its prioritizing of Sustainability, with 17 percent of respondents listing this as one of their top hygiene priorities, showing that even in the face of the current pandemic, Vietnamese travelers expect their hotels to be caring for their nation with efforts that minimize waste and resource usage.

The country, which has fared so well in managing the pandemic, clearly has integrated mask wearing into every day life, and expect hotels to cater to this in the public areas of their properties – with 14% of respondents saying they expected hotels to provide them with personal protective equipment including masks and so forth.

Agoda recently launched its HygienePlus verification feature that shows travellers the health and hygiene measures taken by accommodation providers on its travel platform. As travel resumes, HygienePlus gives travellers the added assurance of identifying hotels or homes that meet a checklist of standardized measures.

“People are raring to travel again but need the reassurance that hygiene measures at their destination are rigorous. Hoteliers and accommodation providers need to regain the confidence of travellers and have been working hard to implement safety measures to do so. HygienePlus quickly and easily identify hotels that are ensuring a safe and hygienic environment. Of course, on Agoda, guests can also check peer reviews on cleanliness of facilities to further confirm their decisions”, says Omri Morgenstern, Chief Operating Officer.

Agoda HygienePlus’ feature includes an extensive checklist is based off international healthcare standards that hotels work towards. These include staff training in safety protocols, contactless check-in/out, temperature checks for staff and guests, staff wearing face covers, protective screens in common areas, daily disinfection at property and room level, provision of face masks, sterilizing equipment and hand sanitizer for guests, safe dining set up and signs to ensure physical distancing.