The number of travelers booking tours for the Lunar
New Year (Tet) holiday has increased by some 30%, though prices this year are
also some 30% higher, tour operators said.

Tourists enjoy a boat ride at the sea in Phu Yen Province. (Photo: SGT)

Some major
travel companies such as Saigontourist, Vietravel and TST Tourist said the
number of tourists putting their names down for their tours have increased by
30%, and most travelers this year made registrations earlier than usual. Several
of their tours have been fully booked and were closed weeks ago.

Dang Trung Nghia, deputy general
director of Fiditour, said the number of travelers booking both domestic and
outbound tours at his company had risen by 30% compared to the year-ago-period.

“This year, travelers bought New
Year tours quite early on. We have sold out both the New Year tours and Tet
tours from the beginning this month,” he said.

Registrations for Tet tours at
Fiditour to date has risen some 30%, especially tours to long-haul destinations
like Turkey, Europe, Australia, and the U.S., with almost all having been fully
booked. “We expect to serve approximately 15,000 visitors for both domestic and
outbound tours,” he told the Daily.

Tour prices this year increase by
between 10% and 40%, which tour operators attribute to higher service prices by
their partners.

Thieu Quang Tien, an executive at
Lys Travel, said the price of tours to Thailand rose by between 30% and 60%. “If
the tours to Thailand normally cost some US$328, these tours during Tet rise to
between US$438 and US$538,” he said.

This year, more outbound tourists
choose long-haul destinations such as Japan, Korea, Europe, America, and India.
Tran Thi Ngoc Thao, a representative from TST Tourist, explained that travelers
had become familiar with nearby destinations in the neighboring countries in
Southeast Asia, “so they choose the farther destinations to discover.”

However, some companies that seek to
explore new markets for travelers do not find the picture quite rosy.

Hoang Anh, a tour coordinator at
Youth Tourist Company, said: “Tours to Hong Kong are selling slowly, but tours
to Australia are almost canceled due to high costs coupled with complicated visa
procedures.”

Travel firms also face tougher
competition from profiteers who seek to cash in on the high season, as Tet is
considered the busiest season of the year for travel. Many travel agents or
companies without licenses for doing international travel business still come
forth to hold tours and woo customers, they said.

Therefore, customers are advised to
only book tours with liable and prestigious travel firms to have quality
services.

VietNamNet/SGT