A MICE tourist group enjoys summer beach activities organized by TSTtourist.

Additionally, the airfare prices during this time are relatively affordable, playing a role in boosting tourism demand.

Many large tourist groups

Saigontourist travel agency has announced that it will be catering to numerous large tourist groups from June 23 until the end of summer, who will be visiting destinations such as Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, and Da Nang. It is expected that more than 30,000 people will be traveling with Saigontourist. MICE tourists are currently considered a key driver for the summer tourism market, especially with improved road connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and various provinces.

Hoang Van Tan, a tour guide from a prominent travel company in HCMC, said that he had been busily serving large tourist groups across the three regions in recent days. "It is exhausting but incredibly enjoyable because tourists are having a wonderful time and spending generously, which indicates a thriving tourism industry," said Tan.

According to Vietravel, this year, the company has received a significant number of orders from businesses for various purposes, such as travel rewards, team-building activities, and training programs catering to their staff, employees, and agents. Vietravel is expected to accommodate around 26,000 MICE tourists during this season. In addition to popular domestic tour destinations like Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Da Nang, there has been a high demand for trips to international locations such as Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea.

This year, enterprises have prioritized travel routes for their employees, including destinations like Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and China, as well as combined European tours encompassing countries like France, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Ms. Tran Phuong Linh, Director of Marketing and Information Technology at BenThanh Tourist, shared that the company had prepared approximately 300 all-inclusive tour programs catering to both domestic and international tourists. For groups of four customers, each customer will receive a discount of at least VND200,000 when booking a domestic tour and a discount ranging from VND400,000 to VND1 million or more when booking an international tour, depending on the specific program.

Group tours continue to experience positive growth as they are an integral part of the overall business strategy for many companies. Assessing the summer tourist market further, Mr. Nguyen Minh Man, Director of Communication and Marketing at TSTtourist, believes that there is still a high demand for leisure travel. However, customers are now considering factors such as pricing, service quality, and destinations more carefully. The MICE tourist segment continues to expand in both domestic and international markets.

"In particular, District 7 in HCMC is actively focused on attracting high-spending group tourists for entertainment, resorts, and conferences. In July, the 6th edition of the HCMC International Traditional Martial Arts Festival and the 17th edition of the HCMC Traditional Martial Arts Festival, known as Vo Viet Dat Phuong Nam (Vietnamese Martial Arts of the Southern Region), are expected to host approximately 3,000 guests in District 7.

With its expansive natural space, well-planned facilities for both indoor and outdoor sports activities, the presence of the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center, as well as diverse healthcare services, District 7 is an ideal destination for attracting MICE tourists," stated Mr. Nguyen Minh Man.

Decreased airfare prices

On the afternoon of June 23, Ms. Le Thuy Thanh Tam, Director of an airline ticket agency in District 1 (HCMC), shared that the sales of air tickets to individual customers have been relatively slow this summer. Many customers are waiting until the last minute to make their purchases. It is noteworthy that the airfare prices of some airlines this season are 20-25 percent lower compared to the same period last year, making it very convenient for summer travel.

After browsing various specialized websites for online flight ticket sales, Phan Le Nam, who resides on Hai Ba Trung Street in District 3, said that the round-trip airfare from HCMC to Hanoi at the end of July is approximately VND2.2-3.2 million per person. For some Vietnam Airlines flights on the HCMC - Nha Trang route at the end of July, the price is around VND1.1 million per person, while other airlines such as VietJet and Bamboo Airways offer fares ranging from VND900,000 to VND1.1 million per person.

Similarly, flights from HCMC to Phu Quoc have prices ranging from approximately VND900,000 to VND1.1 million per person. Overall, there is a price difference of VND100,000-VND300,000 per ticket between different airlines.

"The ticket prices for the remaining summer period are still quite affordable, with minimal fluctuations, enabling my family to have the flexibility to plan and enjoy our summer vacation without the need for rushed and stressful arrangements as in previous years," Phan Le Nam shared.

Vietnam Airlines representatives have shared that during the peak period, the airline will operate nearly 500 flights per day, up 30 percent compared to regular days. These flights will mainly serve popular domestic routes such as Hanoi and HCMC to destinations like Danang, Con Dao, Hue, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Dalat, and Phu Quoc, as well as international routes to Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.

Some airlines have made adjustments to their summer flight plans to better cater to the market, considering the economic challenges and people's tightened spending. Airfare prices contribute to around 30-40 percent of the overall travel tour costs. In fact, affordable ticket prices can encourage people to travel and participate in leisure activities. Collaborative efforts between airlines and travel businesses to stimulate tourism demand are crucial not only in the current period but also for the long-term development of the tourism industry.

Source: SGGP