VietNamNet Bridge – Despite the high risks and weak demand in the low tourism season, travel firms still have been trying to sell domestic tours with low airfares under the cooperation program with airlines to stimulate the demand.

Analysts have said some travel firms have slashed the tour fees further, thus making some tours even cheaper than the summer tours. Travel firms still have been trying to attract more travelers by offering discounts, though they anticipate the sharp falls of profits or no profits.

Tran Van Long, Director of the HCM City based Viet Media Travel, said his firm has decided to launch the sale campaign of 13 tours under the demand stimulus program, though he anticipated no profit.

“What should we do? Should we sit idle?” Long said when asked why he still works when foreseeing no profit, adding that he is not sure how many travelers he would be able to attract in the context of the sharp fall of the demand.

Ho Thanh Chuong, Head of the Domestic Tour Division of Hanoi Redtours, has confirmed that the accommodation service providers in Ninh Binh and Da Nang, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon and Tam Ky have quoted the rates down by 50,000-200,000 dong per night per traveler from the summer’s rates.

Especially, some three star hotels in district 1 in HCM City and the sea city of Nha Trang still offer the discounts of 80,000-100,000 dong for domestic travelers who stay there in October, though October is the first month of the high tourism season.

Airlines have also offered further airfare reductions for the flights on the routes from HCM City and Hanoi to some tourism sites, including the specifically sharp reductions for the flights on Hanoi-Da Nang route.

Southern travel firms now tend to design the tours to the north, especially to Hanoi, to enjoy the charming autumn days in Hanoi. Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay are the three main destination points in the tours to the north.

Saigontourist is selling four-day tours to the north at 7.9 million dong, while Tan Dinh Fiditourist at 7.5 million dong. Meanwhile, Du Lich Viet has slashed the tour fee by another one million dong in comparison with August’s fee, while offering one more destination – Sa Pa, where travelers can enjoy the ripe rice terraced fields – in the itinerary.

Hanoi Redtours, which is now the head of the group of northern travel firms joining the tourism stimulus program, said the 14 member firms are suggesting service providers to slash the fees for some tours. The travel firms are also considering re-designing the tours for old people to fit the tastes of the clients.

Travel firms target middle aged travelers

Most of the travel firms have announced that middle aged travelers would be the most important targeted clients for the autumn-winter tourism season.

Ho Thanh Chuong said travel firms have to accept very strict requirements set up by input service providers. For example, travel firms would be imposed the fine of 50 percent of the room rates for the first night, if travel firms book rooms already but do not bring guests.

Meanwhile, analysts have warned travelers that they would have to accept inconvenient tour schedules in order to enjoy the tour fee reductions.

Saigontourism Hanoi organizes the tours to the central region with the departure days in the last four months of the year, offering the 500,000 dong discount for the travelers aged 60 and higher.

However, this is really a big challenge for old people when they have to leave home at 4 am on the departure day and land in Noi Bai airport at 11.15 pm.

Ha Yen