For this year’s September 2 National Day holiday, public employees will have five consecutive days off, comprising two public holidays and three weekend days following an official working-day swap. In the private sector, employers will determine holiday arrangements in accordance with regulations and are encouraged to adopt a similar schedule.

The extended break gives travelers more flexibility to take trips lasting three to five days. Yet despite a positive outlook for travel demand, many tour operators say Vietnamese travelers are still in no rush to commit to their September 2 holiday plans.

Airfares and tour prices avoid sharp increases

According to Ho Xuan Phuc, General Director of Hanotours, tour prices for this year’s September 2 holiday have risen modestly, by around 5-10% year on year. Overseas packages priced below VND20 million (about US$760) per person are attracting strong interest, particularly tours to China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and Singapore-Malaysia.

At Vietluxtour, holiday packages are priced across several product categories. Three- to four-day domestic road tours typically cost VND2.4-3.3 million (US$90-125) per person, while domestic packages involving flights or higher service standards range from VND7 million to VND13.4 million (US$265-510). Short-haul overseas tours within the region cost around VND7-17.5 million (US$265-665) per person, while trips to Japan and premium itineraries start at VND35 million (US$1,330).

Tran Thi Bao Thu, Vietluxtour’s Marketing and Communications Director, said holiday tour prices should not be viewed through a single overall rate of increase. Costs depend on flight times, baggage allowances, accommodation standards, group size, cancellation and refund conditions, and various other factors. As a result, prices for the same destination can differ significantly depending on how a package is structured.

One positive sign is that domestic airfares for this year’s September 2 holiday have yet to see a dramatic increase. According to Bui Thanh Tu, Marketing Director at BestPrice Travel, airlines have proactively allocated capacity on key tourism routes. Meanwhile, travelers are spreading their demand across road and rail transport and short-haul international routes rather than relying entirely on domestic flights.

Still, the absence of steep price increases does not mean travelers can wait until the last minute and expect to secure good deals. Airfares vary considerably by route, travel date and departure time, while convenient time slots and high-demand routes could become more expensive as departure dates approach.

Travelers still holding off on bookings

Despite the five-day break, tour bookings have yet to surge. BestPrice Travel said bookings for the September 2 holiday are currently slightly lower than for the April 30-May 1 holiday period.

At BestPrice, average occupancy across September 2 holiday products has reached around 80-85%. Some departures offering convenient flight times or attractive prices are already fully booked, while road-based tours and departures scheduled slightly outside peak dates still have capacity.

Vietluxtour has also observed two distinct booking waves for the holiday. Travelers choosing overseas tours, particularly destinations requiring visas or itineraries heavily dependent on flight schedules, tend to book earlier to allow time for paperwork and secure their preferred service options. Domestic travelers and those booking individual travel services, by contrast, tend to make decisions closer to departure.

Tour operators expect a “second booking wave” to become more evident during the two weeks leading up to the holiday, particularly for three- to four-day tours aimed at small families and independent travelers selecting their own services.

According to Thu, what stands out in this year’s market is not that people are necessarily traveling more, but that they are changing the way they choose their trips. Travelers are tending to visit fewer destinations, spend more time relaxing, and prioritize itineraries suited to young children, older family members and overall household budgets. Rather than trying to “see as much as possible,” they are shifting toward “traveling at a comfortable pace and experiencing more deeply.”

According to the Traveloka SEA Index, published by Southeast Asian travel platform Traveloka, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang were the three destinations most frequently booked by Vietnamese travelers both in the second quarter and for the September 2 holiday. Demand this holiday is centered on destinations that combine relaxation with cultural, historical and local experiences.

Con Dao and Phu Quoc also rank among the five most popular destinations for Vietnamese travelers.

BestPrice Travel has similarly recorded strong interest in Da Nang-Hoi An and Phu Quoc. Nha Trang, Da Lat, Sa Pa and Ha Long also remain attractive destinations. At Vietluxtour, travelers are showing a preference for three- to four-day itineraries centered on cultural and historical exploration and green tourism.

Linh Trang