As the Lunar New Year (Tet) approaches, the tourism market in Ho Chi Minh City has witnessed a rather surprising phenomenon: some travel agencies said they were extremely surprised by the sudden increase in the number of customers booking tours during this peak season. Normally, booking tours for Tet usually takes place closer to the date, but this year, the number of customers interested and booking tours early has exceeded the expectations of many businesses, creating a vibrant and exciting atmosphere for the tourism market.
The Lunar New Year tourism market this year shows a diversity in customer choices, from international tours to domestic destinations. Since the beginning of December, many travel businesses have recorded impressive business results, especially in the international tourism segment, with more than 80% of tour plans completed.
With only 40 days left until the Lunar New Year, the tourism market is more vibrant than ever.
More notably, domestic tours have sold out 100% of their plans and businesses are rushing to open additional tours to meet the increasing demand from customers. Regarding popular destinations, tourists tend to choose foreign tourism markets such as Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan (China), Turkey and Australia.
Meanwhile, domestic tourism continues to witness the rise of the Northern mountainous provinces and the Central Highlands, familiar destinations that still retain their special appeal. In particular, this year, tours to the West have also received significant attention from customers.
During the Lunar New Year of At Ty this year, the tourism market witnessed price fluctuations, mainly due to the high increase in airfares and tourism service prices. This has led to adjustments in Tet tour prices, with increases ranging from 4% to 20% compared to tour prices departing on normal days. However, it is worth noting that this increase has been controlled at a reasonable level.
Some travel businesses have officially announced that they have finalized the entire number of tours planned for Tet 2025.
Compared to the price of the 2024 Tet Giap Thin tour, the price of the At Ty Tet tour this year has not increased dramatically. This is the result of early efforts by travel businesses to proactively work with airlines and tourism service providers. Negotiating and signing contracts early has helped businesses get good price incentives, thereby minimizing the impact of increased airfares and services on tour prices.
A survey published by Booking.com last week revealed the destinations that Vietnamese and international tourists are looking for this year's Tet holiday. Domestically, the most popular destinations are Da Lat, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc. The number of searches for Da Lat increased by 300% compared to last year, Nha Trang increased by 200% and Phu Quoc increased by 180%. Next are big cities like Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, where many tourists want to go thanks to their rich history, vibrant culture and rich cuisine.
