Customers finalize tours at the last minute
During the 2025 New Year holiday, Mr. Tran Tu (Hanoi) initially planned to gather with his family because he only had one day off. However, when he learned that the State decided to extend the holiday to four days, his family changed their plan and booked a trip.
Anh Tu shared: "I searched online for short-day tours, but most foreign tours to China, Thailand... are already full. Many domestic destinations such as Sa Pa, Da Nang, Phu Quoc also have fewer options of airplanes and hotels. Therefore, my family had to choose to finalize the schedule early to get the final slots.
Similarly, Ms. Thu Huong (Hanoi) rented a private car and booked a room to go to Ha Giang (Tuyen Quang) right after having a 4-day New Year holiday schedule. However, when calling famous homestays in Lo Lo Chai such as Lo Lo Ancient, Chanh Homestay, Lo Lo Ancient... they were all booked for all 4 days. With no other choice, she had to book a room in Dong Van commune and then take a car to famous spots in the area.
According to records, in Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Mang Den (Quang Ngai) are also almost fully booked during this year's New Year holiday (from December 31st to January 3rd).
Mr. Bui Thanh Tu - Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel company said that many New Year's Day tour products have been closed early or sold out according to customers' wishes.
Mr. Tu shared: "The adjustment of the New Year's holiday schedule close to the time has caused many tourists to have the need to go out at the last minute. While most tours have been booked early, many people choose self-drive tourism by private car to nearby destinations. For tourists who have not had time to book rooms, finding accommodation at this time is difficult, some even have to accept each night staying at a different homestay to avoid interrupting the journey.
Airfares increase sharply
Due to the sudden travel demand of tourists, airfares have increased sharply in many routes in the past week.
According to Lao Dong reporters' records on December 30, airfares for Hanoi - Phu Quoc (December 31 - January 4) range from 7-8.5 million VND/person. Hanoi - Da Nang tickets from 3.4-9.1 million VND/person, Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City tickets from 3.1-5.5 million VND/person. High prices but there are still quite a few flights for tourists to choose from.
For the Hanoi - Nha Trang route alone, there are only 2 tickets left, with a price of 7.3 million VND/person.
On the way from Ho Chi Minh City, ticket prices to Phu Quoc (December 31st - January 4th) range from 2.6-4.2 million VND/person. Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang tickets from 3.6-6 million VND/person. Ho Chi Minh City - Hue tickets from 3.4-4.3 million VND/person but there are still quite few trips for customers to choose from.
Faced with the pressure of strong travel demand during the 2026 New Year holiday, airlines and trains have proactively adjusted their operating plans to meet the increasing number of passengers.
Accordingly, in the period from January 1 - 4, 2026, Vietnam Airlines has added nearly 270 flights, supplying about 45,000 more seats. The increased capacity is mainly distributed on Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City routes to tourist destinations with great attraction such as Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Hue, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong...
Vietjet is also implementing a plan to receive 22 new aircraft to serve peak holidays and Tet on the entire flight network. The airline plans to double the number of flights between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Con Dao. At the same time, the airline is increasing the frequency of flights on some international routes, including the Ho Chi Minh City - Manila (Philippines route).
For the railway industry, immediately after the official holiday schedule was announced, Vietnam Railways Corporation opened ticket sales to serve passengers. However, the Southern region recorded a sudden increase in passenger volume, many trains have been operating at full capacity. Tickets on key tourist routes such as Saigon - Nha Trang, Saigon - Phan Thiet during peak days have now sold out and no more trips can be organized.
In the Northern region, the railway industry only has the ability to increase trains on the Hanoi - Lao Cai route. Long-distance routes such as Hanoi - Nha Trang or routes deep into the South are all full and no longer have room to supplement.
For road transport, major bus stations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City said they have developed plans to increase trips and regulate vehicles to serve the increasing travel demand.
In Hanoi alone, after the 4-day New Year holiday plan was approved, Hanoi Bus Station Joint Stock Company directed its affiliated stations to increase about 900 bus trips, ready to serve passengers during peak hours.
