Increased preference for international travel, tours fully booked for Tet

Travel agencies have reported that outbound tours to domestic and international destinations are now fully booked as they enter the peak time of the travel season during Tet (Lunar New Year holiday).

Viet Media Travel has completed its business target for the Tet holiday, the company’s communications director Pham Anh Vu told Nguoi lao dong (Labourer) newspaper.

The company expects to serve more than 5,000 tourists this travel season, an increase of over 30% compared to the same period last year.

Tour prices remain relatively stable, with price hikes only recorded among domestic tours due to rising airfares. Most tourists have opted for tours lasting 4-6 days.

Foreign destinations are a popular choice this year due to reasonable pricing and attractive tour schedules, the company’s representative said, adding that 25% of their customers chose nearby locations such as Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand or Indonesia.

Meanwhile, for domestic tours, customer preferences lean towards travel itineraries in the northeastern, northwestern and central regions, as well as the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City.

Tran Phuong Linh, marketing and information technology director of Ben Thanh Tourist, said that the company has achieved more than 98% of its business targets for this Tet holiday.

“Customers are tending to choose international tours over domestic ones this Tet holiday, with around over 60%.

“As for domestic tourism, destinations with beautiful landscapes and unique cultural experiences, diverse entertainment activities for families (tours to the northern region or sea and islands) are still the top choices,” said Linh.

Particularly, tours to distant destinations such as Europe, Oceania, Northeast Asia (Japan, South Korea and China), the U.S., Egypt and India are sold out.

Tours to Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore) are still available but with limited supply, according to the company.

Compared to the same period in 2023, Ben Thanh Tourist saw a 20% increase in the number of visitors.

However, the total number of its customers only reached about 87% of the pre-pandemic figure, mostly due to the economic downturn and people tightening their spending.

According to PYS Travel deputy director Nguyen Thi Minh Hien, all of the company’s domestic tours that began during the Tet holiday are fully booked, especially for peach and plum blossom trips in Ha Giang and Moc Chau.

The agency’s spring tours beginning from the third to the 15th of the first lunar month also witnessed a sharp rise in the number of customers over the past two weeks.

In addition to one-day pagoda tours, PYS Travel recorded increased interest in tours that combine pagoda visits and other leisure activities.

For a safe spring travel season, Vietluxtour communications director Tran Thi Bao Thu recommends that tourists book their vacations at reputable agencies and check all the information carefully before confirming.

Vietluxtour also reported sold-out tours for their domestic and international itineraries, and is now offering other services including air tickets, hotels and restaurants and car rentals in the northern, central and southern regions throughout the Tet holiday.