However, the Lunar New Year market this year is forecasted to have few surprises. The flow of independent tourists booking services will still be larger than those booking package tours.
Tour prices increase
Mr. Nguyen Minh Man, TST Tourist, said that this year there will be no cheap prices. The reason: ticket prices for all means of transport tend to increase compared to the huge demand, and peak service prices cannot be reduced.
Although the tour prices have been balanced, they are still likely to increase by at least 15% compared to the same period last year. Many tourists have gradually realized this, so they no longer expect to hunt for cheap tours but proactively seek opportunities to reserve seats for quality tours.
Ms. Tran Phuong Linh, marketing and information technology director of Benthanh Tourist, also said that with the Tet tourism market this year, the company's Tet tour prices increased by 5-10% compared to normal prices.
However, if we add the incentives that businesses are trying to stimulate demand, the tour price will not differ much compared to the same period last year.
"We have actively worked with airlines and service providers to help stabilize tour prices and reduce pressure from rising airfares and service fees at the end of the year. Combined with promotional discounts, the Tet tourism market has therefore been less pushed up in prices," said Ms. Linh.
According to Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, representative of Vietlux tour, Tet tour prices maintain an increase of about 5 - 15% compared to normal prices, depending on the route. Domestic routes during Tet season are unlikely to have competitive discounts compared to foreign routes due to the increased demand for domestic travel during Tet. Meanwhile, transportation costs account for a large proportion of domestic tour prices.
Race to invite customers to book tours early
Since September 2023, the demand for researching and booking tours for the 2024 New Year and the Year of the Dragon has started. Although products and tour prices for this occasion are still being updated in response to the adjustment of the peak season, the trend of booking tours early, 3 months in advance, is becoming increasingly clear.
Major travel agencies such as Saigontourist, Vietravel, Benthanh tourist, TST tourist... all have incentives for customers who register for package tours and pay in full before February 2024. Ms. Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang, Deputy General Director of Vietravel, said that the company is expected to serve more than 150,000 customers during this Tet holiday.
Up to now, the number of customers coming to buy spring tours has reached more than 20,500. The company is still trying to stabilize tour prices compared to the same period last year. But to attract purchasing power, the unit launched a preferential program for customers who buy and pay for tours to receive a higher refund of up to 1.5 million VND in November 2023.
"In addition to our regular customers, this Tet, we expect overseas Vietnamese customers returning home for Tet and have a separate program for this group of customers," Ms. Hoang shared.
Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu also said that customers will benefit from this airline's early purchase and group purchase programs if they book tours 2-3 months in advance.
Businesses are no longer interested in "playing big"
Not going all out, not taking on too much is the policy of many tourism and travel businesses during this year's Tet season. Credit and financial risks in the past year have made businesses no longer interested in "playing big" and taking on tickets to get ahead in the Tet business season like every year.
Mr. Tran Thanh Vu - Director of Vinagroup Travel - said that the past year has been quite volatile, and up to now, many tourism businesses are still "stuck" with cash flow due to unexpected flight cancellations by airlines or many contracts with corporate clients have not been settled even though tour programs and events have been completed for a long time.
"The tourism industry is a spending-first-earning industry, so if customers are left with debt for just a few months, it will be considered illiquid. In difficult economic times, the more effort you put into doing things, the higher the risk," Mr. Vu acknowledged.
Fear of cutting spending
In fact, since the beginning of the year, spending on tourism has been on a downward trend; events for incentives, thanking partners, launching new products... have all decreased significantly. Ms. Cao Thi Tuyet Lan (Viettours) said that even businesses that try to maintain activities for employees and partners have seen the scale of trips shrink.
Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu also said that the tourism market during Tet this year is very unpredictable, businesses must closely monitor and adjust sales plans to meet market demand.
Luxury tour, high price still has customers
Foreign tourism will continue to dominate the 2024 Tet travel season. With a long Tet holiday of up to 7 days, tourists will tend to choose long tours and distant markets.
Northeast Asia tours to Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China are predicted to be the hottest foreign tour routes. Next are European tours and Southeast Asia tours with destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Bali (Indonesia), and Cambodia.
According to records, the price of foreign Tet tours of companies ranges from 4.5 million to the highest of over 140 million VND, in which there are still tourists willing to choose tours with high prices to experience high-class services.
