VietNamNet Bridge – Although many provinces and cities have launched their travel stimulus programs and airlines have offered discounted airfares, prices of domestic summer tours in general are still inching up due to high demand, travel firms said.

Cao Pham Hang, director of SPSC Tour, said that the average price of this year’s summer tours is 10-20% higher than normal days due to a hike in transport cost and room rate.

She noted that only tours combined with discounted airfares from Vietnam Airlines are priced a little lower, while most of other tours have higher prices this summer.

Vietnam Airlines and VietJetAir have cooperated with some travel firms to lower the prices of some domestic packaged tours. However, the number of travel firms benefiting from discounted airfares is small, and there are few air services having the fares lowered.

Therefore, in general, prices of summer tours do not change much.

Vietnam Airlines has offered discounts of 40% on five one-way air services from HCMC to Danang, Hanoi, Haiphong, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, and four other return fares, comprising Can Tho-Hanoi, HCMC-Quy Nhon, HCMC-Rach Gia and Rach Gia-Phu Quoc.

As such, travel firms can provide promotional tours for tourists taking these routes only. In fact, only 12 travel firms based in HCMC can enjoy such low airfares.

According to Tu Quy Thanh, director of Lien Bang Travelink, many provinces and cities have announced their travel stimulus programs, but in fact the service fees have not declined much. As a result, the firm can lower the price of a couple of tours, especially ones supported by airlines.

In addition, in response to travel stimulus programs, hotels also offer a 40% discount on the quoted price, rather than discounts on the selling price. For instance, a room has a quoted price of VND1 million per night, but travel firms are often offered at VND550,000 only.

Therefore, given the promotion, the room rate with a 40% discount will be lowered to VND600,000, still higher than the tariff without promotion, making travel firms unable to reduce the tour price.

At Lien Bang Travelink, there are around 25 promotional tours while other tours have the price equivalent or 10-15% higher than the normal price.

Besides, the fees of many other services, especially car rental, also rise this summer.

According to Thanh, tours in the travel stimulus programs sell well, with promotional tours departing this month sold out. The firm is waiting for more discounted airfares for next month.

Source: SGT