Travel agents booked solid for Tet

Most travel agents confirm that tours for the Tet or the Lunar New Year festival, which falls early February, have been fully booked for the entire weeklong Tet holiday.

The tourism market has shown signs of resurgence around the year-end and the lunar New Year period, with bookings for Tet tours increasing from 15 to 30 percent against last year, prompting travel agents to announce that they have stopped accepting bookings for future tours.

Some major travel companies like Saigontourist, Vietravel and TST Tourist said the number of tourists booking through the agencies’ branches increased by 30 percent and most travelers this year made registrations earlier than usual.

Ho Chi Minh City-based Fiditour have received more than 10,000 holiday makers, a year-on-year rise of 30 percent.

Tour prices this year have increased between 10 and 40 percent, which tour operators have attributed to higher service prices by their partners.

The price of tours to Thailand rose between 30 and 60 percent. Normally, a tour to Thailand cost about US$328, but during the Tet holiday season these tours cost between $438 and $538.

This year, Vietnamese holiday-makers seem to be favoring China, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, and Malaysia as destinations for outbound tours while the most popular domestic destinations are northern sites, as well as beautiful beaches in Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Phu Quoc, Vung Tau or traditional festival venues across the country.

Tags: Vietnam Travel agents