Travel agencies have said that the number of foreign visitors and overseas Vietnamese wishing to experience the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival in Vietnam has increased significantly this year.

Therefore, many agencies have launched specialised and private tours to meet their growing demand, according to the People’s Army online newspaper.

The most popular tour is “Enjoy southern spring, take Tet home” of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, in which visitors will be taken to flower villages and a southern spring flower fair, or enjoy a homestay to learn how to make cylindrical glutinous rice cakes, and purchase traditional Tet gifts in localities.

All Tet tours are expected to grow over 30 percent on the occasion of the longest and most important annual festival. In 2013, Vietnam received 7,572,352 foreign tourists, a 10.6 percent rise over 2012.

Vietnam’s tourism sector plans to receive 8 million foreign visitors and serve 37.5 million domestic holidaymakers this year.-VNA