Series of popular destinations
The 4-5-day holiday has created a strong boost for tourism in the North, with a series of localities recording impressive growth in both visitor volume and revenue.
In Hanoi, the Capital welcomed about 1.35 million visitors, with a total revenue of more than 5,000 billion VND.
The noteworthy point is not only the scale of the visitor flow but also the quality of accommodation, when the average room occupancy rate reaches over 71%, many 4-5 star hotels are almost fully booked on peak days.
Relic - cultural sites such as Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Hoa Lo Prison... maintain stable attraction.
In the Northwest region, Lao Cai continues to be a bright spot when welcoming about 540,000 visitors, an increase of nearly 20% compared to the same period, with revenue reaching more than 1,250 billion VND.
Sa Pa leads the number of visitors, but noteworthy are destinations such as Bac Ha, Mu Cang Chai also recording increased visitor flows, showing a trend of dispersing visitors away from traditional centers.
The Northern coastal region witnessed strong growth. Hai Phong welcomed nearly 532,000 visitors in just 2 days, an increase of 37%.
Tourist areas such as Do Son and Cat Ba are experiencing local overload, ferry and cable car systems are operating at full capacity, and there are many times of congestion.
Meanwhile, Quang Ninh welcomed about 810,000 visitors in 3 days, with revenue reaching 2,510 billion VND.
Sea and island routes such as Ha Long, Co To, Van Don continue to be the top choice of Northern tourists.
Not only large centers, many "satellite" destinations also recorded clear attraction.
In Tuyen Quang, the visitor flow increased sharply thanks to ecotourism, historical tourism and cultural experiences.
Routes connecting to Ha Giang, Dong Van Karst Plateau, Lung Cu have become popular routes.
In the newly emerging coastal area, Thinh Long (Ninh Binh) recorded a high increase in the number of visitors, restaurants and accommodation services are operating at full capacity.
This shows a trend of expanding tourism space, instead of just focusing on some familiar places.
Diverse experiences outside of sea tourism
Although sea tourism still plays a key role in the summer, the fact that holidays show that the decisive factor in tourist behavior is no longer "where to go", but "what to experience".
In Hanoi, a series of cultural and heritage activities in Hoan Kiem Lake, Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, Thang Long Imperial Citadel... attract a large number of tourists.
Programs recreating history and traditional craft experience spaces have contributed to renewing urban tourism products and extending stays.
In the suburban area, destinations such as Ba Vi, Soc Son, Son Tay or Huong Son attract a large number of tourists thanks to ecotourism and short-day resort models.
The trend of "leaving the city, returning to nature" not only helps reduce the burden on the inner city area but also expands the tourist space.
With the northern mountainous region, indigenous cultural experiences are increasingly becoming highlights.
Tourists coming to Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang not only visit but also participate in community activities, enjoy cuisine, and immerse themselves in traditional cultural activities. This "life experience" element creates a different attraction compared to pure sightseeing tourism.
Even sea destinations and tourism products are added to increase the experience. In Thinh Long (Ninh Binh), activities such as kite flying festivals, culinary spaces, and outdoor art programs contribute to keeping tourists longer, instead of just swimming in the sea during the day.
Quang Ninh and Hai Phong also continuously organize experiential activities, regional linkage tours, music carnivals... to refresh products and attract tourists.
According to Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu - representative of Vietluxtour, a noteworthy point during this year's holiday is that tourist behavior has changed significantly.
Customers no longer only care about "where to go" but pay more attention to "how to go worth the money", with the trend of choosing an affordable itinerary, a compact schedule and prioritizing destinations with stable services.
Products such as short-day sea tourism, resorts, flexible combo packages and experiential tours are therefore attractive. "Tourists are tending to go slower, deeper and more personalized journeys," Ms. Thu said.
From this reality, it can be seen that although sea destinations are still a priority choice, the factor of retaining tourists lies in the overall quality of experience.
