Tourism market heating up ahead of four-day national holiday

Resorts close to Hanoi fully booked

A lot of people have been searching for information about inbound and outbound tours to draw up a schedule for the upcoming holiday since the middle of August.

Ngan Giang, a resident of Hanoi, says she has looked for a deserted destination to enjoy a short trip with her family for days, although she has yet to find a favourite venue as most of the tourist attractions close to Hanoi have fully been booked.

“There have no rooms for rent at resorts in Hanoi’s outlying districts, as well as in neighbouring localities such as Vinh Phuc, Hai Phong and Hoa Binh,” says Giang.

“Some homestays and villas have rooms available, but they are either in remote areas or much expensive. We have not come to a decision yet,” she adds.

Nguyen Van Hieu, general director of Vitamin Tours, predicts that the number of travelers for this year’s National Day holiday will increase considerably compared to last year as a result of the favourable weather conditions and an extended holiday.

“Most tourists choose a 4 to 5-day tour in the country or abroad. The two-day and one night tours near Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are also much sought after by many tourists,” says Hieu.

However, there has yet to be a sharp rise recorded in the number of tour and room bookings in several major tourist cities, including Quang Ninh, Nha Trang, Da Nang, and Vung Tau, as Vietnamese people normally tend to make their bookings close to the departure date.

“The number of passengers booking domestic flights or international tours has only reached 20-30% of the plan, but it will definitely increase sharply when the holiday is drawing near," confides Hieu.

According to the travel expert, hordes of domestic tourists are due to flock to coastal tourist destinations in Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phan Thiet. Meanwhile, mountainous localities that enjoy a cool climate like Sa Pa and Ha Giang in the north will be chosen by many tourists in order to avoid the heat.

Diverse tours at attractive prices

In an effort to further stimulate tourism demand, travel firms offer not only a variety of tour options and routes, but also various price incentives and gifts.

Information from tourism firms indicates that tours lasting for three days and two nights from Hanoi to Sa Pa, Mu Cang Chai and Ha Long cost VND2.7 million, VND2.4 million, and VND3.6 million, respectively. Meanwhile, four day and three night tours from Hanoi to Nha Trang and Da Nang cost VND5.7 million and VND4.9 million, respectively.

Doan Thi Thanh Tra, marketing and communication director of Saigontourist, reveals that the firm is expected to serve about 30,000 visitors during the coming National Day holiday. To meet the various needs of visitors, Tra says Saigontourist has created roughly 100 domestic and international tours, priced starting from only VND3.49 million per person, with a primary focus on domestic tours.

Along with domestic tours, international tours are also being offered at attractive prices. Pham Duy Nghia, director of Vietfoot, explains that Vietnamese travelers have tended to go abroad recently, particularly as the cost of travel to some countries such as Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia is equal or even lower than domestic tours. Indeed, it gives visitors the chance to experience four or five star flight services and stay at three of four star hotels.

Destinations in Japan and the Republic of Korea are also popular among tourists as it is the autumn period and the weather is perfect for guests to enjoy.

Meanwhile, longer market routes and longer tours to destinations such as Northern Europe or Australia, are also itineraries of great interest to middle-aged travelers.