Tourism: back on track

Tourism: back on track

There is only one month left until the independence holiday, the first major holiday after Lunar New Year in Vietnam, but many hotels in famous tourist destinations have announced that 90 per cent of rooms have been filled.

According to booking platform Agoda, a number of resorts in Sapa such as Topas Ecolodge and Sapa Jade Hill Resort, as well as luxury hotels located in the central area including Eden Boutique and Muong Hoa View Hotel, are all full.

Tran Thanh Thuy, vice president of the Sapa Tourism Association said, “The number of visitors to Sapa during the holiday is expected to explode, and many hotels will be unavailable.”

Similarly, many facilities near the beach in tourist cities such as Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, and Vung Tau are also 90 per cent full for the period, according to Booking.com. On Phu Quoc Island, many resorts and 4-5 star hotels bordering the sea such as Sunset Beach Resort, Anja Beach Resort, and Vinholidays Fiesta have already reported occupancy rates of over 90 per cent.

Nguyen Vu Khac Huy, vice chairman of the Kien Giang Tourism Association, said that from the end of March, hotels with 3 stars or more on Phu Quoc are out of rooms. Bus companies, cruise ships, and travel companies are also working continuously to cater to tourists.

In the first two months of the year, Kien Giang welcomed more than one million visitors, of which Phu Quoc accounted for more than two-thirds. “The domestic market is recovering strongly. This is also the time for Phu Quoc to prepare personnel and develop a plan to welcome international visitors back at the end of the year,” Huy said.

Many other famous destinations in the southern region such as Dalat and Vung Tau have also recorded a sharp increase in the number of visitors since March 15, even though it is not yet peak season. In the north, many resorts near Hanoi such as Mai Chau Hideaway, Avana Retreat, and Mai Chau Ecolodge in Hoa Binh are all out of rooms every weekend of April.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the number of domestic tourists in the first quarter of 2022 reached 26.1 million, an increase of 9.6 million arrivals over the same period in 2021. Many tourism businesses are now attempting to seize the potential to offer products that match the psychology of visitors.

Saigontourist, one of the leading travel groups in Vietnam with more than 40 years of experience, has recently launched more than 60 domestic and international package travel products, along with a series of Free & Easy combos with prices from only $100.

Vu Hai Sam, deputy director of Saigontourist’s Domestic Tourism Division said, “We expect to serve more than 12,000 guests including business and individual guests during the independence holiday.”

Saigontourist also leads tourism with a series of foreign tours departing from Ho Chi Minh City with preferential prices from only $1,400 to destinations such as France, the US, Dubai, Turkey, the Maldives, and Australia. The departure schedule will be extended until December.

VietSense Travel also boasts over 20 product routes, including 2,100 domestic and international tourist tours with novel itineraries and discounts of up to 30 per cent to attract tourists. Many international tours have a departure programme in April and a series of tours departing in the second and third quarters to Europe and North America, as well as many travel programmes departing to other Asian countries such as India, South Korea, and Singapore.

“We have launched a series of tours at the price of around $85 for some domestic tours and $870 for a number of foreign tours. These tours are of much higher value than the given price, as a way for VietSense Travel to stimulate demand and show gratitude to loyal customers,” a company representative said.

Not to miss the opportunity, domestic tourist attractions also began to open their doors to welcome guests and strengthen promotional activities.

In Hanoi, Vietnam International Travel Mart 2022 took place last week with the participation of more than 500 businesses that have brought tens of thousands of stimulus tours and discounted air tickets to customers in the capital.

In 2022, Hanoi is expected to organise many professional events and festivals, focusing on promotion programmes based on Hanoi tourism before, during, and after the 31st SEA Games, which takes place in May. By the end of the year, the city hopes to serve 9-10 million visitors, including 1.2-2 million international visitors.

With available opportunities and careful preparation, Vietnam’s tourism industry is striving to serve 60 million domestic and 5 million international arrivals by the end of this year.