Diversifying spiritual tours
Right after Tet, many people and tourists have started booking tickets and tours to visit spiritual destinations, relics, and heritages to combine Spring travel with worship and pray for peace.
Accordingly, crowded places include Huong Pagoda (Hanoi), Hung Pagoda (Phu Tho), Yen Tu (Quang Ninh), Bai Dinh Pagoda (Ninh Binh), Ba Den Mountain National Tourist Area (Tay Ninh), Ba Chua Xu Temple (An Giang), Truc Lam Zen Monastery in the Western region and Da Lat...
Grasping the psychology of customers, many travel agencies have prepared a series of spiritual tours early with flexible routes and times. Tour prices are affordable, ranging from a few hundred thousand to a few million VND.
Mr. Bui Thanh Tu - Marketing Director of Best Price Travel Travel Company - said that most tourists on spiritual tours choose their own schedule, not because the company is ready. After confirming the destinations, the company will proactively contact the bus company as well as the restaurant for customers.
In the North, visitors often choose tours from Hanoi to Cay Thi pagoda - Phi Lai geopark - Phat Quang pagoda, Hanoi tour - Tam Chuc pagoda - Phi Lai geopark, Hanoi tour - Yen Tu - Ba Vang pagoda, Hanoi tour - Huong pagoda... Because they go on a day, the price is quite cheap, ranging from 659,000 - 760,000 VND/guest, said Mr. Tu.
For the Southern market, Ms. Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang - Deputy General Director of Vietravel Tourism Company informed: "The spiritual tourism routes at the beginning of the year mainly go to the West, Southeast, Vung Tau, Dong Nai... The most popular tours include from Ho Chi Minh City to visit the Central Song Festival - Buu Phong Communal House (Binh Duong), Phat Ngoc Pagoda - Ba Lon Pagoda (Long An) ... Especially this year the company focuses on implementing tours to Ba Den Mountain (Tay Ninh)".
According to Ms. Phuong Hoang, tour prices during the Lunar New Year increase by about 30-50%. However, after the Lunar New Year, the figure has gradually decreased to the normal price. A day tour to the above-mentioned Southern pagodas costs from 699,000 - 999,000 VND/guest depending on the route. 2-day, 1-night tours cost about 1.9 million VND/guest.
In addition to short-term tours, the business also offers 4-5-day tours for pilgrims to many spiritual destinations in the country or abroad.
Changing tourists' habits
Mr. Bui Thanh Tu said that according to statistics during the Lunar New Year, the number of tourists booking spiritual tours of the company increased by about 20-30% compared to the same period last year. Of which, the number of visitors is mainly middle-aged and elderly people, the group of visitors with families, streets, and socio-economic groups accounting for about 60%. The rest are groups of young people, company-based spring trips and foreign visitors. This year, especially, the group of young tourists interested in spiritual tourism continues to increase compared to previous years.
In addition, Mr. Tu said that the spiritual tourism habits of Vietnamese tourists at the beginning of the year have gradually changed: "Instead of jostling and pushing on election days, many tourists choose to go on tours on normal days to get a break, and the price is also cheaper. There are also some young tourists who choose to take longer tours to combine both worshiping, sightseeing, and relaxing at other famous destinations in the region.
Sharing the same view, Ms. Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang commented that tourists currently have to research information quite carefully. Many tourists will refer to the schedule and advice of professional travel agencies to avoid choosing crowded and tiring tours.
To facilitate the reception of visitors, travel agencies also coordinate with localities to make appropriate plans and routes, and develop many preferential policies. From there, the locality also has the opportunity to stimulate tourism, promote new products and attract more visitors," Ms. Hoang analyzed.
