The Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year holidays are nearing. The year-end tourism market is becoming increasingly busy. In the current period with numerous difficulties facing the economy, travel companies have launched promotional campaigns to attract tourists.
Head of Saigontourist Marketing Department Doan Thi Thanh Tra said that to serve tourist demands from now to the year's end, Saigontourist has launched more than 50 special inbound and outbound tours to welcome Christmas and New Year holidays. Apart from attractive destinations in America, Australia, Europe, South Africa, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Chinese Taipei, the company offers Christmas and New Year tours to Dubai, Greece and Turkey. Not only increasing direct flights, offering competitive tour prices and organizing exclusive parties for customers who take tours on Christmas and New Year holidays, Saigontourist also designs specific sightseeing and entertainment programs for these customers. For example, those who take a tour to Dubai will be offered a buffet and fly directly with a package cost of VND36.69-39.69 million; those who take a tour to America, Europe or Australia will have a chance to enjoy a light show, a traditional-styled party and be presented a gift; those who take a tour to Japan, the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei or South Africa will have a chance to discover different types of festivals.
Inbound tours by land and air which Saigontourist designed to welcome Christmas and New Year holidays are diverse, special, short, easy to choose and suit different types of tourists. These include tours to famous travel destinations in Vietnam such as Da Lat, Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hue, Phu Quoc, Hanoi, Ha Long and Sa Pa. Saigontourist is developing two packages of four-day tours to Da Lat for customers who travel on Christmas and New Year holidays (VND3.24 million). The company also offers special air tours to Phu Quoc departing from Ho Chi Minh City; seven-day tours to Hanoi, Sa Pa and Ha Long Bay (VND10,365,000); four-day tours to heritage sites in Da Nang, Hue (VND8.02 million); three-day tours to Phu Quoc (VND5,268,000 or VND6,373,000). Saigontourist also offers tours to many other destinations in Vietnam and abroad, departing from different places across the country, to serve diverse demands of tourists.
Vietravel has launched many attractive tours with reduced prices. Vietravel Marketing and Communications Department Deputy Director Nguyen Minh Man said the company had designed over 200 inbound and outbound tours to serve customers from now to the year's end, focusing on two occasions: Christmas and New Year holidays. Prices of tours to destinations in northern Vietnam have been reduced by VND2.7-3 million, to the central region by VND3.3 million. Prices of outbound tours have also been considerably reduced. Vietnam Airlines will launch a new flight route to Jakarta on December 2, 2012. Taking this opportunity, Vietravel has designed a four-day tour package to Jakarta with an attractive price of VND7.69 million per tourist.
Nguyen Minh Man added that although the economy still faces numerous difficulties, Vietravel's business situation remains satisfactory. The number of its customers from now to the year's end is predicted to slightly increase and reach about 65,000, up 20 percent compared with the same period last year. To share difficulties with customers and stimulate consumption, Vietravel and its partners have launched specific packages of Christmas and New Year tours with flexible departure times and soft prices. Apart from promotional programs, Vietravel will increase its competitiveness by improving management and service quality, offering reasonable prices, careful customer care and after-sales services for highest customer satisfaction.
Travelink has launched many New Year tours to different places in Vietnam and abroad. Outbound tours to Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, Singapore and Japan are offered at a price of VND300,000-500,000 per tourist. Inbound tours to some destinations in northern Vietnam such as Ha Giang, Dien Bien Phu, Dong Van, Lung Cu and Moc Chau are also offered at reasonable prices. Fiditour offers Free & Easy tours to Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong (China).
Travel companies have launched a variety of promotional campaigns to attract customers, creating a race on the tourism market towards the year's end and opportunities for travel lovers to make a suitable choice. The campaigns will help travel companies achieve the development goals of 2012 and prepare for their successful operations in 2013.