Domestic tourism market heats up ahead of a four-day break

The upcoming four-day holiday marking National Reunification Day on April 30 and May Day on May 1 is considered to be a golden tourism break for Vietnamese people after months of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Tour bookings skyrocket

Almost all high-end hotels and lodging facilities located in popular tourist destinations in Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Da Nang, Hoi An, Ha Long, and Sa Pa are now fully booked. 

A representative of MTV Travel said the number of bookings for the four-day break has seen a six-fold increase compared to March. Indeed, with room vacancies in Phu Quoc, Ha Long, and Sa Pa running out, holidaymakers still have the chance to book rooms through online sales channels and agents, although typically at a higher price.

Surveying a number of online booking platforms, such as booking.com and Agoda.com, the occupancy rate of four or five star hotels in Phu Quoc, like Vinpearl Discovery, The Shells Resort, and Fusion Phu Quoc, has reached between 90% to 96%. Similarly, high-end hotels along Nha Trang beach in Khanh Hoa such as Sunset Beach Resort and Ocean Bay Resort also have an occupancy rate of over 90%.

According to details provided by travel firms, holidaymakers who have yet to decide on a destination can almost only find mid-range hotels, guesthouses, or homestays, with room prices ranging from VND400,000 to more than VND1 million per night.

Airfares rise on high demand

High demand for travel for the upcoming holiday has fueled the price of airfare, with all airlines moving to increase prices.

On the website of major airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air offer VND 9.9 million and VND7.5 million respectively for a round-trip between Hanoi and Phu Quoc from April 29 to May 3. Elsewhere, budget airline Bamboo Airways announces the lowest airfare of roughly VND7.2 million for a round trip on the same route.

If travelers wish to fly from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to famous tourist destinations, such as Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Da Nang, and Hue, they must spend approximately VND5 million on a one-way ticket, including tax and fee.

A representative of an airline ticket agent noted that the price of domestic flights during the upcoming holiday is three times higher than on weekdays due to high travel demand.

He revealed it’s a normal occurrence that domestic airlines hike airfares during the peak summer season, starting from April. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, such a hike this year has caused plenty of difficulties for passengers.

Outbound tours on the rise

With the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to ease in regions worldwide, there is an increasing number of people choosing to book overseas tours.

Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, a marketing official of Vietravel, said Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Singapore, and Dubai all represent popular destinations for Vietnamese holidaymakers.

Most notably, tours of destinations in Thailand and Dubai have already been fully booked due to their good prices, while the firm is currently receiving bookings from visitors keen to travel to Cambodia and Singapore, said Khanh.

Meanwhile, Saigontourist Travel has launched a series of overseas tours departing from Ho Chi Minh City to destinations such as France, the United States, Dubai or Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Maldives, and Australia. In addition, the travel firm will expand the departure schedule from the holidays to December as a means of meeting the needs of tourists.

A representative of Saigontourist Travel said that the number of travelers is increasing sharply in both groups and individuals, as well as family guests. The firm is therefore expected to serve between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors during this period.