Despite the rising costs, Ho Chi Minh City-based Vietnam travel agencies are offering cheap tours.

Fiditour has launched a Christmas and New Year promotion, offering discounts to tours from the south to the north. Customers booking tours to Ha Noi, Bac Ninh, and Ha Long Bay can now enjoy discounts of VND3-3.5 million for 4-5 day tours just before Tet (Lunar New Year Festival) which falls on 23 January next year.

Vietravel has also announced VND2.5-3 million discounts for tours to the north. Three-day tours to Da Lat at the end of last month cost a mere VND1.3 million.

Nguyen Thi Hoa Le, the director of Hoa Binh travel company, said her company did not increase tour prices but was content with lower profits to attract more business.