Muong Hoa Valley, about 10km southeast of Sa Pa township in Lao Cai province. (Photo: TTTTDL)
Hanoi (VNA) – Travel companies are offering various tours to attract more holidaymakers in the coming National Day holidays from September 1-4.
Currently, domestic tours have great pricing that is more economical than those offered during the National Reunification Day and May Day holidays. In the North, tours to highland destinations are arranged in various forms such as package tour, trekking and mountain climbing. Specifically, a Hanoi - Sapa (Lao Cai) tour in three days two nights costs about 2.7 million VND (113 USD) per person and a Hanoi - Ha Long (Quang Ninh) tour at a price of 3.6 million VND per person. Besides, leisure travel such as cruises on Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay are offered at 3.2-3.8 million VND per head are also chosen by many tourists.
Assessing tourism trends during the National Day holidays, Director of VietSense Travel Nguyen Van Tai said that after a long summer vacation, tourists will tend to choose short-term trips. In the North, tours to Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Mu Cang Chai (Yen Bai), Ha Giang and Ba Be (Bac Kan), Ha Long, and Cat Ba (Hai Phong) will be favoured by many people. These are also the products with the best pricing for customers.
Popular destinations such as Da Nang, Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) are chosen by a lot of tourists. Director of GBest Tourism Company Nguyen Thi Huyen said that although tourism on the occasion of September 2 holidays is not as "hot" as in the summer vacation, this is still a busy time for the tourism industry. Hanoi is also an attractive destination for tourists from neighbouring provinces and foreign tourists.
Outbound tours to Thailand, China, Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan (China) are preferred by many Vietnamese people. Director of Trang An Tourism Company Nguyen Huu Cuong said that while the price of domestic air tickets for many routes is quite high, tours abroad cost between 7-10 million VND, so many Vietnamese tourists choose to travel abroad.
The price of air tickets for this period is two-fold even three-fold higher than in normal days. For example, if a customer chooses to go on August 31 or September 1 by Vietjet on Hanoi - Phu Quoc route, the ticket price ranges from 1.6 million VND to more than 2 million VND per one way depending on flight time. If you fly with Vietnam Airlines, the fare will be 2.4 million VND per one way or even more.
Tourists at Grand World Phu Quoc. (Photo: Vingroup)
Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Travel Association Phung Quang Thang said that the trend of self-sufficient travel with small groups and families is still chosen by many people during this year's holiday.
“Families should plan ahead in booking services as well as calculate routes and destinations to avoid congestion and overload at some sites,” Thang said, adding that tourists are recommended to select a reputable travel firm when booking a tour to avoid being scammed.
Many tourists choose to travel around Hanoi on the National Day holiday as autumn is the most beautiful season of the city. According to the Hanoi Department of Tourism, visitors can take a night tour of Thang Long Imperial Citadel or Hoa Lo Prison relic site, tours to explore the Old Quarter, or craft villages.
In addition, there are many services at the commercial centres for tourists to both shop or experience skating at Royal City Urban Area, see the aquarium at Times City or Lotte Urban Area and look at the animal world at Hanoi Zoo or Bao Son Paradise Park./.
