After a long period of social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the April 30th and May 1st holidays were eagerly awaited by people as an opportunity to have fun, relax, and relieve stress. Although tourism was not encouraged at this time to ensure effective disease control, a considerable number of tourists still sought out domestic destinations. This holiday period reveals how the Vietnamese tourism market has opportunities and how it has seized them for recovery.

Unlike previous years, when preparations were meticulously made months in advance, this year's April 30th and May 1st holidays were anticipated with apprehension. Only a few days before the holidays was the official announcement of the easing of social distancing measures, followed by information about the reopening of tourist destinations in various localities. Only then could people make decisions about their holiday plans.

As can be seen, Vietnam's success in preventing and controlling the Covid-19 pandemic has created favorable conditions for most provinces and cities to allow tourism services to resume. Since the beginning of this week, many provinces and cities from North to South have announced the reopening of all tourist destinations, welcoming visitors back, including Lao Cai, Ninh Binh, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Bac Giang, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Phu Yen, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Da Lat, and Ca Mau… along with mandatory requirements for implementing disease prevention measures for tourists. Accommodation establishments, homestays, and restaurants are also allowed to operate.

However, some localities that were previously popular tourist destinations are now reopening cautiously to ensure safety in pandemic prevention. While historical sites and tourist attractions in Hanoi haven't reopened, according to the Hanoi Department of Tourism, areas and destinations such as Duong Lam ancient village, Bat Trang pottery village, and Ao Vua ecological tourist area, due to their unique characteristics, are still welcoming visitors but must comply with pandemic prevention regulations.

The popular tourist route of Hoi An - Da Nang - Hue prioritizes the reopening of famous attractions and historical sites such as the Hue Imperial Citadel, My Son, Ba Na Hills, and Ly Son Island…

Khanh Hoa province has allowed the reopening of the Ponagar Tower historical site and Hon Chong scenic spot to serve the sightseeing and religious needs of locals and tourists, but temporarily prohibits swimming at the beach until the end of the April 30th - May 1st holiday.

In Can Tho, eco-tourism destinations in the orchards and boats carrying tourists to visit Cai Rang floating market are still not accepting visitors.

A few localities, such as Quang Ninh, unexpectedly issued urgent notices on the morning of May 1st allowing tourist attractions to reopen from 12 PM on May 1st; Ninh Thuan, however, still suspended all sightseeing activities at historical and cultural sites during this holiday period.

It can be said that businesses in the tourism industry have made thorough preparations to immediately stimulate the tourism market at this time when an official announcement is made.

Following the allocation of flight frequencies on domestic routes by the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority to airlines starting from April 29th, airlines immediately launched significant airfare discounts, such as Vietjet's program offering 3.5 million tickets at 99,000 VND (excluding taxes and fees), or Vietnam Airlines' program offering round-trip tickets from only 1.29 million VND per passenger (including taxes and fees) on domestic routes. As a result, air travel services became busier during the holiday period. On April 30th, a total of 238 flights were operated across the entire Vietnamese air network.

In previous years, the April 30th - May 1st holiday would be a peak period for tour bookings and hotel room shortages, with prices even doubling or tripling at many destinations. However, this year, many travel companies, hotels, and resorts are launching a series of promotional packages at various tourist destinations with significantly reduced prices.

Many hotels and resorts reopened on April 28th, offering services at 30-50% off. Jade Hill Sapa Resort launched a promotion with prices starting from just 1 million VND per person, quickly filling up during this period, with most guests coming from northern provinces. Several 4-5 star hotels/resorts such as Royal Lotus Da Nang, Ananta and Avani Quy Nhon… simultaneously launched a "stay 2 nights, pay for 1 night" promotion.

Many combo packages are also being offered by major players during this period, such as the Vinpearl hotel system and VinWonders theme park, which are offering discounts of up to 50% with a maximum validity period until November 30, 2020; FLC is offering 3-day, 2-night resort packages including hotel and airfare to destinations such as Da Nang, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, and Phu Quoc…

Restaurants in major cities are also launching many shocking promotions to attract tourists: Home Hanoi restaurant is offering unlimited lobster for 1,290,000 VND and unlimited wine and whisky for 299,000 VND, with a special "buy one get one free" offer when making reservations or purchasing vouchers (valid until December 31, 2021) from now until May 4th; Vietheritage restaurant (Ho Chi Minh City) is offering discounts of 15-20% for individual and group customers…

Living up to the expectations of those in the tourism industry, and with the added appeal of unprecedented promotional programs during the April 30th and May 1st holidays, many famous tourist destinations were quickly filled with visitors.

From morning to afternoon on April 30th, traffic jams were severe on the Ho Chi Minh City - Da Lat route as most people used private vehicles to flock to the city of flowers to enjoy its romantic atmosphere and cool weather. An Nguyen, a resident who experienced the severe traffic congestion, exclaimed: "The road from Saigon to Da Lat has officially become a one-way street and has been upgraded from two lanes to four lanes." By afternoon and evening, major tourist attractions in Da Lat, such as the night market, the area around Xuan Huong Lake, and Lam Vien Square, were packed with people standing shoulder to shoulder, completely failing to adhere to social distancing regulations. According to previous forecasts from the Lam Dong province tourism industry, approximately 1,000 tourists were expected to visit Da Lat for sightseeing and relaxation during the holiday, but the actual number likely exceeded that forecast.

Accommodation services here have also become busy again as a result. Since April 23rd, when Lam Dong province began allowing tourism activities, hotels and guesthouses have started accepting bookings online and by phone to serve guests during this holiday. Most hotel and guesthouse lobbies are filled with parked cars and motorbikes, mainly tourists from Binh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Dong Nai, and Ho Chi Minh City...

"We reopened on April 29th and were immediately fully booked that same evening. The resort also offered some special deals during this holiday season," said Nguyen Xuan Nam, Communications Manager of Ana Mandara Villas Dalat.

Sam Son Beach (Thanh Hoa province), while not as bustling as in previous years, still maintains its position as a hot spot for tourism in Northern Vietnam this season. Tens of thousands of locals and tourists from all over flocked to Sam Son Beach from the morning of April 30th. This was also the first day the beach reopened to visitors after the social distancing order was lifted. Many hotels and guesthouses were fully booked. FLC Sam Son alone had over 1,000 hotel rooms and villas fully booked within a few days of receiving guests since the easing of social distancing measures.

The number of visitors to Vung Tau during the April 30th holiday also increased slightly. Since swimming in the sea was prohibited (according to Vung Tau province regulations), tourists instead used services at restaurants, cafes, and resorts in the province. At the Pullman Vung Tau hotel, with many holiday promotions, occupancy reached 70%.

"Melia Ho Tram currently applies a surcharge for holidays, but the majority of guests are family groups from Ho Chi Minh City looking for a 2-3 day vacation, so they don't worry too much about the price. The hotel's occupancy rate during holidays also reaches 80%," said a representative of Melia Ho Tram Hotel.

Phu Quoc is much quieter than it was at this time in previous years, but because many hotels haven't reopened yet, some hotels are still fully booked even without offering promotions.

"Even during holidays, the hotel hasn't increased prices or added surcharges because of the ongoing pandemic... From the very first day of reopening, April 28th, and throughout the holiday period, our hotel has still received a considerable number of guests, including both Vietnamese and foreigners living in Vietnam," said Trang Le, Communications Manager of JW Marriott Phu Quoc.

However, not all destinations nationwide are seeing positive signs. Da Nang and Hoi An, once popular tourist destinations, are currently experiencing negligible visitor numbers, despite many services having resumed operations. Some hotels and resorts, such as Danang Golden Bay and Palm Garden Hoian, are only reaching 30-50% of their usual occupancy rates. The Da Nang Department of Tourism predicts that the number of overnight stays during the April 30th - May 1st holiday in Da Nang this year will only be around 1,626, a 99% decrease compared to the same period in 2019. The majority of visitors so far are those who arrived before March 28th, and some domestic business travelers who left after the social distancing period ended.

Sa Pa, Ninh Binh, Can Tho… are all popular destinations, but this year they weren't overly crowded, only comparable to other weekends throughout the year.

Many concerns have been raised regarding those who choose to travel during this holiday season, with some even suggesting that these travelers lack caution and safety awareness. However, the perspective of these travelers reveals a different reality.

Ms. Hoang Anh, residing in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, one of the domestic tourists during this April 30th holiday, said: “After much deliberation, my family and I decided to spend the April 30th holiday in Moc Chau. With a short holiday of only 2 days and 1 night in a place with such vast natural spaces as Moc Chau, my family feels completely at ease.”

Ms. Hoang Anh also stated that although it was a tour, the group consisted of only about 20 people on a 45-seat bus, ensuring social distancing with two people per row. Each passenger was required to wear a mask and had their temperature checked throughout the trip, so everyone in the group felt safe. Notably, at all the tourist attractions on her trip, Ms. Hoang Anh observed that the establishments fully implemented disease prevention measures, limiting the number of tour groups at any one time to avoid large gatherings.

Unlike Ms. Hoang Anh's choice, Mr. Thanh Phong, who lives in Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi, chose to travel independently in his family's private car: "Because we have young children, we carefully chose to travel by private car and the destination was a small farm in Soc Son. Although I would love to go further, I think this is more suitable than ever given the current pandemic situation."

To be even more cautious, Phong's family chose to rent a private house on the farm. They were completely self-sufficient, even checking in was done via an automatic keypad and phone, without needing to contact or meet the owner. Since it was a picnic-style vacation, the family also proactively prepared food for their three-day stay instead of eating out at restaurants.

While families often choose to go on vacation, Thu Hang, being single, opted for a more youthful form of travel: trekking through the forest. Choosing Cuc Phuong National Park as her destination, she put a lot of effort into preparing for this trip. “A friend living in Ninh Binh told me that during the nearly two months of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Cuc Phuong forest had undergone many interesting changes due to the absence of human influence. The increased number of animals and the lush vegetation piqued my curiosity. Furthermore, venturing deep into the forest would definitely minimize contact with other people while still providing an enjoyable vacation,” shared Thu Hang.

It is still too early to judge the state of the tourism market. To date, travel agencies have noted that 50% of airline tickets sold during this period are for flights departing from June onwards and continuing until the end of the year.

However, the initial recovery coming from the domestic market will create a foundation for people to gradually overcome their apprehension, and at the same time show opportunities for Vietnam's tourism industry in the domestic market. Meanwhile, traveling abroad or welcoming international tourists to Vietnam will certainly recover much later because the Covid-19 situation worldwide remains very tense. It is highly likely that foreign tourists will not start traveling again until the fourth quarter of this year if the world successfully controls the pandemic in the second quarter.