Air ticket prices for Tet flights have increased by 15-20 percent, according to BestPrice.

Passengers are paying VND6.5 million for a return ticket from HCM City to Hanoi with departure on February 6-14, and an inconvenient time. The airfares are VND6.3-7.3 million for flights from HCM City to Thanh Hoa with departure time at night. Return tickets on HCM City – Hai Phong route are priced at VND6.8-7 million.

The tickets for flights from Hanoi to the tourism cities of Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Da Lat, Nha Trang and Phu Yen also have increased, now hovering around VND6-7 million.

Nguyen Anh Tu from Vivu Journeys Vietnam said increases in airfares have led to domestic tour fees increase of 20-30 percent. The fee for the Hanoi – Phu Quoc tour on Tet days is equal to the fee for a tour to Thailand.

The cheapest return ticket for Vietjet’s Hanoi-Singapore flights is VND3.2 million. The airfare for the Hanoi/HCMC-Bangkok route are just between VND2.7 million and VND4.2 million. The figures are VND3.7 million for Vietnam Airlines and VND6.4 million for Vietravel Airlines’ flights. 

Outbound tours 

Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, marketing director of Vietravel, said the company plans to serve 150,000 travelers on Tet days, which is much higher than last year. Of this, 64 percent of travelers choose outbound tours to enjoy Tet. Their favorite destinations are mostly in Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, China, Taiwan and Japan.

Further tours to Europe, Australia, the US and Africa also are favored. To date, nearly 2,000 travelers have booked tours to far markets.

Vivu Journeys Vietnam reported that outbound tours account for more than 60 percent of Tet tours, mostly because outbound tour fees are more attractive. China has resumed many programs with attractive offers.

Thailand and Taiwan are offering preferences by giving cash to travelers and extending their stay.

Khanh confirmed that airfare increases for Tet flights have posed challenges to selling tours. Her company has tried to negotiate with airlines to have better airfares, and it booked services to keep tour fees stable. 

Domestic tours 

The reports from travel firms show that for domestic tours, travelers are going to the north to enjoy spring flower season and majestic landscapes. Also, spiritual festival tours within a day and with departure in Hanoi attract older travelers. 

Tours to the central region (Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Quang Binh, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon and Phu Yen) are the second choice. 

Meanwhile, many travelers in HCM City have chosen destinations near the city for short-term tours. Vung Tau, Phan Thiet and the western provinces of the south are attractive destinations. These tours last 2-5 days with fees from VND4 million and departure time on the second, third and fourth day of the New Lunar Year.

To encourage travelers to choose domestic tours, Vietluxtour has launched city tours in HCM City, with focus on cultural and historical products, culinary programs, and night-time tourism.

In the Tet travel season, Saigontourist plans to serve 28,000 Vietnamese and foreign tourists, a 20 percent growth rate over last year. The travel firm shows signs of optimism about international travelers with cruise tourism with the voyage of the Celebrity Solstice. 

The cruise is expected to dock at Phu My Port on the fifth day of the New Lunar Year, bringing 2,300 travelers. After that, the cruise will head for Nha Trang and Hue before ending the voyage at Ha Long Bay on the ninth day of the New Year.

Travel firms are still trying to lure more travelers for domestic tours by launching promotions at the last minute. They have warned travelers against fraud and advised travelers to book tours at prestigious tourism companies. Scammers are offering surprisingly cheap tours on social media on fake websites, impersonating tour sellers to trick travelers out of money. Travelers need to check information carefully before transferring money to book tours. It is better to make payment transactions at the head offices of companies.

Ngoc Ha