Vietnam's tourism industry is bustling again.

VnExpress conducted a survey of Vietnamese tourists in early December regarding their travel plans for the 2022 New Year holiday. The results showed that nearly 30% of the more than 10,000 respondents were ready for New Year's trips, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. By the end of December, many familiar destinations had become bustling again.

Sa Pa

In Sa Pa, accommodation facilities with 4 stars or more are currently 90% booked from December 31, 2021 to January 2, 2022. Since the beginning of November, the number of domestic tourists visiting Sa Pa has increased sharply on weekends, mainly from Hanoi and within the province. Most local tourist attractions have reopened, such as Cat Cat Village, Ta Van Village, and Fansipan Peak.

Tourists are choosing to stay at luxury resorts because of reduced prices and a greater sense of security regarding pandemic prevention measures. A representative from Topas Ecolodge stated that the resort was fully booked for Christmas and New Year's Day half a month in advance. Besides Sa Pa, Hoa Binh and Quang Ninh are also popular destinations for domestic tourists for year-end vacations and relaxation.

Hoi An

The Christmas and New Year 2022 holidays marked the "revival" of tourism in Hoi An. Thousands of domestic tourists crowded the pedestrian streets along the Hoai River, experiencing the busiest times in months in the ancient town. On this occasion, the local authorities inaugurated the Ancient Town Lantern Festival, kicking off a series of events to welcome the return of activities that "warm up" the ancient town and celebrate Christmas and the New Year. In the near future, Hoi An will simultaneously organize many programs such as the New Year's Eve celebration, the Ancient Town Lantern Festival, and welcoming the first visitor to the ancient town... aiming to attract both domestic and international tourists back.

Da Lat

By mid-December, the number of domestic tourists flocking to Da Lat reached nearly 63,000, almost three times higher than the previous month. The central area of ​​Da Lat witnessed bustling streets and heavy traffic, mostly cars, buses, and motorbikes carrying tourists visiting the city on weekends. During Christmas and New Year 2022, high-end hotels around Tuyen Lam Lake achieved 70% occupancy, while popular establishments in the city center were over 90% full. The COVID-19 control checkpoint No. 1 at Chuoi Pass, Madagui town, Da Huoai district, experienced congestion and overload of vehicles, mostly domestic tourists from Ho Chi Minh City.

Da Lat city is also in the cherry blossom season, and many tourists choose it as a destination for Christmas and New Year's holidays because of the most beautiful weather of the year. According to forecasts, from now until the beginning of the Lunar New Year 2022, the number of tourists visiting Da Lat will continue to increase sharply.

Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa

Although tourism in Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa remains sluggish compared to pre-pandemic levels, since November, the number of individual and group domestic tourists has begun to increase. In November, the number of domestic tourists rebounded, reaching over 30,000, with tourism revenue reaching nearly 200 billion VND. Besides welcoming domestic tourists, Khanh Hoa also plans to welcome approximately 11,000 international visitors during the New Year holiday and the Lunar New Year 2022. Specifically, on December 26th, the locality will welcome its first Russian tourist group after a two-year "freeze" due to Covid-19. Hopefully, this will be a boost to revive the tourism industry in Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa.

Vung Tau

For over a year, the Covid-19 outbreak forced tourism activities in Vung Tau to shut down. However, from around mid-December until now, a significant number of domestic tourists have flocked to Vung Tau, despite this being the local low season. According to accommodation establishments along Thuy Van beach, over the past two weekends, occupancy rates reached approximately 45-50%, and even up to 60% on Saturday night.

Most tourists come from Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces in the Southeast region, staying for short periods to swim, enjoy the sea breeze, and savor seafood. After a long period of social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, "Hopefully, by early 2022, tourism in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province will have almost completely recovered," said Mr. Trinh Hang, Director of the Department of Tourism of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.

Phu Quoc

According to a representative from the Kien Giang Department of Tourism, the province is expected to welcome approximately 100,000 domestic tourists this December. Most visitors are traveling to Phu Quoc and Ha Tien, which is also the peak tourist season of the year. To meet travel demand, Phu Quoc currently has about 18 flights per day, welcoming many groups of tourists to the island for recreation and relaxation during Christmas and New Year 2022. In addition, there are at least four ferry trips daily from Rach Gia city bringing tourists to the island.

Domestic tourists visiting Kien Giang have surged again, leading to a more vibrant tourism industry. Nguyen Minh Tam, director of Tam Dang Khoa Canoe Company (An Thoi Ward, Phu Quoc City), shared that tourists mainly travel independently with family or friends, booking tours to the island for snorkeling, fishing, dining, photography, and watching the sunset at Hon May Rut Trong. Particularly on the three weekend days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), canoes for rent on the island depart continuously, operating 4-5 trips per day (each trip carrying 10-20 passengers). Many large resorts such as Nam Nghi, JW Marriott, Movenpick, Radisson Blu, Premier Village... are fully booked or have very few rooms available. This is a positive sign as tourists are gradually returning to Phu Quoc, and those working in the tourism industry on the island are also encouraged by the increasingly stable income.

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Hieu Vo