Travel companies have rolled out several new tours during the upcoming
Liberation Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1) holidays.

Nguyen Cong Hoan,
deputy director of Ha Noi Redtour Company, said accommodation and travel prices
are up 20 to 30 per cent. “Travel agencies have to increase their prices by 15
to 50 per cent to make a profit while still keeping their tours affordable.”

Hoan’s company offers
around nine domestic tours, mostly to famous sites in Quang Ninh, Da Nang, and
Phu Yen provinces, and many to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Europe.

They are more than 70
per cent full, he said.

Despite the higher
prices, the number of people opting to travel during the holidays is up 10 to 15
per cent from last year, HCM City tourist companies reported.

Leading operators like
Saigontourist, Vietravel, and Fiditourist hope to attract a large number of
local tourists this season.

At prices ranging from
VND3.5 million to 5.7 million exclusive of train and air tickets, tours to Da
Lat, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, and Phu Quoc are the most popular.

Many young people are
opting for tours to popular northern spots like Phu Tho, Sa Pa, and Ha Long,
even though they cost at least VND5 million.

Many workers,
students, and teachers are interested in two-day tours to Vung Tau, Binh Chau,
and Tay Ninh that cost just VND1.2 million.

Saigontourist is also
offering new tours to Can Gio, Cu Chi, and Binh Duong where visitors will be
taken to sites on rivers by boat.

The company hopes to
serve 14,000 customers this holiday, 38 per cent higher than last.

Vietravel offers
around 100 domestic and outbound tours and the company hopes to sell them to
20,000 people, 35 per cent more than last year.

Idyllic: Ha Long Bay, Nha Trang city, Da Lat city and Phu Quoc Beach (clockwise from top) are some of the country’s top destinations during the summer. (Photos: VNS)

Tourist companies are
focusing on tours to Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia where Vietnamese do not
need entry visas. Four-day tours costing around 12 million are attracting
wealthier families.

Green tours and
home-stay trips to remote communities costing VND1.2 million to VND2 million are
also popular.

With its marvellous
landscapes, Sa Pa is becoming one of the country’s hottest tourist attractions.

All hotels and guest
houses in the mountain town were fully booked for he holidays as long ago as
last month.

Tran Huu Son, director
of the Sa Pa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the town hopes to
attract one million visitors this year.

Theme parks and
amusement centres in HCM City like Suoi Tien Tourist Site and Dam Sen Park have
announced live music and comedy shows and dragon dance performances to attract
visitors.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News