Tourists at a plum blossom garden in Mộc Châu District of Sơn La Province

Travel agencies reported that their outbound tours to domestic and international destinations are now fully booked as they enter the peak of the travel season during Tết (Lunar New Year).

Viet Media Travel has completed its business target for the Tết holiday, the company’s communications director Phạm Anh Vũ told Người lao động (Labourer) newspaper.

The company expects to serve more than 5,000 tourists this travel season, an increase of over 30 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Tour prices remain relatively stable, with price hikes only recorded among domestic tours due to rising airfares. Most tourists opted for tours lasting 4-6 days.

Foreign destinations are a popular choice this year due to reasonable pricing and attractive tour schedules, the company’s representative said, adding that 25 per cent of their customers chose nearby locations such as Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand or Indonesia.

Meanwhile for domestic tours, customer preferences lean towards travel itineraries in the northeastern, northwestern and central regions, as well as the Mekong Delta and HCM City.

Trần Phương Linh, marketing and information technology director of Ben Thanh Tourist said that the company has achieved more than 98 per cent of its business targets for this Tết holiday.

“Customers tend to choose international tours over domestic ones this Tết holiday, around over 60 per cent.

“As for domestic tourism, destinations with beautiful landscapes and unique cultural experiences, diverse entertainment activities for families (tours to the northern region or sea and islands) are still the top choices,” said Linh.

Particularly, tours to distant destinations such as Europe, Oceania, Northeast Asia (Japan, South Korea and China), the US, Egypt and India are sold out.

Tours to Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore) are still available but with limited supply, according to the company.

Compared to the same period in 2023, Ben Thanh Tourist saw a 20 per cent increase in the number of visitors.

However, the total number of its customers only reached about 87 per cent of the pre-pandemic figure, mostly due to economic downturn and people tightening their spending.

According to PYS Travel deputy director Nguyễn Thị Minh Hiền, all of the company’s domestic tours that began during the Tết holiday are fully booked, especially for peach and plum blossoms viewing itineraries in Hà Giang and Mộc Châu.

The agency’s spring tours beginning from the 3rd to the 15th of the first lunar month also witnessed a sharp rise in the number of customers over the past two weeks.

In addition to one-day pagoda tours, PYS Travel also recorded increased interest in tours that combine pagoda visits and other leisure activities.

For a safe spring travel season, Vietluxtour communications director Trần Thị Bảo Thu recommends that tourists book their vacations at reputable agencies and check all the information carefully before confirming.

Vietluxtour also reported sold-out tours for their domestic and international itineraries, and is now offering other services including air tickets, hotels and restaurants and car rentals in the northern, central and southern regions throughout the Tết holiday. — VNS