Several tour operators in Ho Chi Minh City revealed that all of their inbound and outbound tours have been fully booked ahead of National Reunification Day on April 30 and May Day, according to industry insiders.
Representatives from various travel firms said that tourists have been booking tours early this year, adding many local travelers have since the Lunar New Year holiday reserved tours for the coming public holidays, with popular destinations including Hue, Da Nang, Da Lat, and Phu Quoc.
Most notably, some destinations in the northern region have attracted tourists due to their spectacular natural landscapes and the temperate mountainous climate coupled with the pristine beauty of seasonal flowers.
Meanwhile, the outbound tourism has become bustling as local tourists are seeking to explore spring in countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Canada, Taiwan (China), or the tulip festival in the Netherlands.
Doan Thi Thanh Tra, marketing communications director of Saigontourist Travel Service, said the number of tour bookings has reached more than 70% of the plan, and the firm is expected to serve more than 100,000 visitors, including both individual tourists and MICE tourists, during the special occasion.
Tran Phuong Linh, marketing director of Information Technology at Ben Thanh Tourist Service, said that the purchasing power among travelers for tours in the upcoming holidays has increased by between 30% and 40% compared to the same period from last year.
Most notably, customers tend to prioritise service quality and are willing to pay higher fees in order to get the best experience. Indeed, tour prices tends to increase by 10% to 20% compared to those on normal days due to the increasing prices of services, she said.
Linh attributed the sudden surge in outbound tours to Europe, Taiwan (China), and Hong Kong (China) to the upcoming long holidays.
Nguyen Ngoc Tan, general director of Saco Tourism (Sacotravel), said the domestic and international tourism markets have witnessed positive signs recently after a period of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vietnamese people will have five days off work on the occasion of the April 30 and May Day holidays.