Target market positioning for Francophone inbound tourists by small and medium-sized travel enterprises in Vietnam

In the context of Vietnam’s tourism recovery and intensifying competition, accurate target market identification is essential for small and medium-sized travel enterprises serving Francophone inbound tourists. This qualitative study combines secondary data analysis with in-depth interviews with managers of two enterprises of different sizes: Amica Travel and La Palanche. The study examines how these firms implement the Segmentation - Targeting - Positioning (STP) process and compares their approaches to identifying, selecting, and positioning target markets. The findings reveal differences associated with organizational scale and resource availability. Based on the two cases, the study proposes a practical framework for improving target market positioning that is suitable for resource-constrained travel enterprises, thereby strengthening their competitive capacity in Vietnam’s Francophone inbound tourism market.