The demand for Vietnamese people to travel during Tet has increased steadily in recent years. Currently, many travel companies have finalized tours. A representative of Saigontourist said: "During the 2019 Lunar New Year season, the company expects to serve 21,500 domestic and foreign tourists, an increase of about 10% over the same period last year."
A week before Tet, domestic tours and air travel are almost fully booked. Road tours near Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City usually close a day before departure, so tourists can buy tours during Tet.
A representative of the Hanoi-based Blue Sky travel company said that Lunar New Year tours have increased significantly because of the longer holiday period. "This year, tours to Quy Nhon, Da Lat, Phu Quoc, and Da Nang are chosen by many customers. Lunar New Year is also the peak season for tours to Con Dao, Trang An - Bai Dinh, and Ha Long."
Domestic tour prices range from 2.5 to 8 million VND, depending on the itinerary. According to travel agencies, domestic destinations account for about 60% of tours sold this Tet.
In addition to familiar destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea, this year, tours to Bhutan (from 39 million VND) and Japan (from 34.9 million VND) are chosen by many tourists. These tours have good departure dates, from the 1st to the 4th of the Lunar calendar.
Vietravel representative said that the company currently has 3 charter tours (chartering the entire flight) to Fukushima (Japan), India and Bhutan to serve tourists during the Lunar New Year. Compared to traditional tours, charter tours save up to 30% of the cost. For example, the Fukushima charter tour is priced at 24.99 million VND, with a 5-day, 4-night itinerary. Meanwhile, a regular tour with the same itinerary costs about 35-37 million VND.
This year, the Tet holiday is long, so long-distance tours to Europe, America, Russia to "hunt" for the Northern Lights, and Switzerland for spring travel are also of interest to many tourists. Most of the customers are middle-class people, and the tours have closed early to prepare for visas.
A Fiditour representative said that this year's Tet tour prices have increased by 10-15%, depending on the market and departure date. "Spring tourists often register in groups, mainly family members and friends. This year, the 2nd and 4th of the lunar calendar are considered good days to depart, so tours departing on these days are often booked early."
A new feature of the tourism market this year is the increased demand for booking private tours for family and friends. "Instead of choosing available tours, many customers have proactively contacted travel agencies to choose destinations, departure times, and service packages to book private tours," said a representative of Saigontourist, adding that tour prices from travel agencies can be better than those from individuals due to the availability of partners for accommodation and transportation.
During the peak of Tet, travel agencies also advise tourists to buy tours from reputable agencies, not to be greedy for cheap prices, to avoid unexpected risks, affecting the first trip of the year. Tourists traveling far away such as Korea, Japan and Europe should prepare their passports and visas before Tet.
