This year's National Day holiday on September 2 lasts 4 days. This is considered a "holiday" for families before the new school year. Although tour booking and tourism services are not really vibrant, airfare prices are still a big barrier for tourists.
Airplane ticket prices are twice as expensive as usual
According to a survey by Labor on August 13, round-trip airfares for some routes from August 31 to September 3 are at very high levels, about 500,000 to more than 1 million VND more expensive than usual, depending on the destination. On some routes, ticket prices double.
Typically, the round-trip Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route is priced at 2.8-3.4 million VND/person for flights at bad hours (ie departing at midnight and early morning). If you want to fly at a better time, tourists have to spend from 3.6 to 4.2 million VND/person.
Round-trip air tickets from Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi cost about 3.4-3.6 million VND, at bad times. Other trips cost 3.7-4.2 million VND/person.
If flying round trip from Hanoi to Da Nang, tourists have to pay about 3.8 - 4.6 million VND/person. Round-trip tickets for this route on Vietnam Airlines are expensive at more than 6.7 million VND/person.
The routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to famous tourist destinations such as Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, and Phu Quoc are all at high prices. Many routes have double the price compared to normal days.
Air tickets from Hanoi to Nha Trang with a departure date of August 30 or August 31 and a return date of September 2 or September 3 cost about 4.6 - 4.9 million VND, nearly double the normal price of about 2.2-2. 5 million VND.
Flight tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang during the holidays currently range from 2.9 to 3.4 million VND, which is one and a half times more expensive, about 1.8 to 2.5 million VND on weekdays.
This makes many tourists hesitant in choosing to travel during the September 2 holiday this year, especially during a period when the economy still faces many difficulties and challenges.
Guests travel by road
Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu - General Director of Vitamin Tours said that this year people have 4 days off, which is an ideal time to travel. Visitors can choose a 4-day, 3-night tour or a 3-day, 2-night tour for long journeys.
However, rising airfare prices greatly affect tour prices and tourists' choice of destinations. According to Mr. Hieu, currently, the business is only receiving about 30-40% of tour bookings compared to the same period last year. In particular, the number of tour bookings with air tickets is not much. Tourists mainly travel by road to save costs.
"Airfare is expensive so few businesses and companies let their employees travel on this occasion. Instead, we mainly receive tours from families, groups of friends, and couples," Mr. Hieu said.
On the other hand, Mr. Hieu believes that with Vietnamese people's habit of booking tours at the last minute, after August 20, the number of visitors is expected to skyrocket, especially with road tours.
Mr. Hieu commented: "On September 2, the weather begins to turn into autumn. Therefore, ideal vacation destinations are the midlands and mountainous areas. Tourists in the North can choose destinations near Hanoi such as Son La, Hoa Binh, Moc Chau, Sa Pa, Ha Giang... In addition, nearby beaches with cool, not yet cold weather such as Ha Long, Cat Ba, Sam Son, Hai Tien... will also attract many tourists. guests choose.
For the South, Da Lat, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet, the West... are always destinations that tourists are interested in every holiday in general and September 2 in particular."
Besides, Mr. Hieu said that tourists can also take cheap foreign tours like China with diverse routes and destinations, traveling by plane, road or charter flight.
For guests in the Hanoi area traveling by self-driving car, traveling on a day trip or 2 days 1 night can go to destinations such as farms and gardens in Hoa Binh, Ba Vi...
Mr. Bui Thanh Tu - Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel Company, said that besides booking package tours, many guests tend to book their own air tickets and hotels individually.
Mr. Tu commented: "In terms of spending, domestic tourists tend to consider more carefully, prioritizing high-value and affordable services. This shows a positive change in habits. consumption, as customers become increasingly smarter and more efficient in using their budget for travel."
Right after the peak summer month, the company has carefully prepared plans to meet the increased tourism demand of both domestic and outbound markets.
Mr. Tu informed: "For domestic customers, the company has prepared a large number of hotel rooms, entertainment tickets, air tickets and a variety of services in provinces such as Sa Pa, Hoa Binh, Ha Long, Phan Thiet, Da Lat... to meet increased demand during the holidays.
For the international tourist market, since July, we have promoted a series of tours, preparing a variety of products and services in countries near and far such as Thailand, Japan, Korea, and China. …, ensuring all markets have a rich schedule."
In addition, the company also launches many attractive incentive programs such as buying a tour and getting a suitcase free, giving away green travel items and livestreaming to hunt for discounted deals... ready to welcome customers.
