The high-altitude firework displays at the Sài Gòn River tunnel entrance in HCM City - Illustrative image. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — With the five-day National Day holiday approaching, tourists are increasingly opting for short, flexible trips rich in cultural, natural and local-life experiences, prompting destinations and businesses to refresh tourism products, expand transport capacity and tighten safety measures.

Destinations offer new experiences

In Hà Nội, visitors have a wide range of experiences to choose from. At the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel, the Thăng Long-Hà Nội Heritage Conservation Centre is promoting the value of historical documents and artefacts while applying technology to create new experiences for visitors.

The Hỏa Lò Prison relic site continues to tell historical stories through exhibitions, documents and first-hand accounts, catering to visitors interested in Việt Nam's revolutionary traditions during the National Day holiday from August 29 to September 2.

In HCM City, restaurants and hotels along the Sài Gòn River report occupancy rates of 70-80 per cent as demand for rooms offering views of fireworks rises. The Củ Chi Tunnels historical site will host a series of cultural exchanges featuring gong performances and K’Ho cuisine from the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng during the five-day holiday.

Central localities are also diversifying their tourism products to cater to the growing demand for nature, culture, and local-life experiences. In Huế, tours of Tam Giang Lagoon allow visitors to cast fishing nets, catch fish, explore mangrove forests and enjoy local lagoon cuisine.

Đà Nẵng is expanding experience tours to coastal and urban areas, and its western mountainous region, featuring countryside markets, local cuisine, Bài Chòi folk art and the cultural spaces of minority ethnic groups of Cơ Tu and Xơ Đăng. In Hội An, activities during the holiday include the 2026 Creativity Week and the Hội An Memories show, alongside various cultural programmes.

Đà Lạt remains attractive for its cool climate and destinations combining natural landscapes with cultural experiences. Sites offering gong performances at weekends draw around 4,000-5,000 visitors a day.

Trần Thị Bảo Thu, director of Marketing and Communications at Vietluxtour, said three- to four-day itineraries themed around waterways, beaches, highlands, culture and history, with green tourism gaining popularity. The common trend is toward personalised trips combining relaxation, experiences and rejuvenation.

Airlines add flights, fares ease

Transport operators are increasing capacity to meet rising travel demand during the five-day holiday. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam, airlines are expected to provide nearly one million seats during the holiday, up 10 per cent from the same period last year. Additional flights will mainly serve routes linking Hà Nội and HCM City with Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang, Phú Quốc, Huế and Đà Lạt.

Demand is already high on some routes. For August 29, bookings have reached 100 per cent on the Hà Nội-Chu Lai route, 99 per cent on HCM City-Tuy Hòa and 98 per cent on HCM City-Côn Đảo.

Tourists watch a historical film at the Củ Chi Tunnels historical site in An Nhơn Tây commune, HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo

Airfares, however, are showing signs of cooling. Vietjet’s fares on the Hà Nội-Phú Quốc route range from VNĐ1.9 million to VNĐ2.6 million per one-way ticket, down 20 per cent year-on-year. Those on several other routes are also about 20 per cent lower than the same period last year.

According to Nguyễn Văn Thành, general director of the West Coach Station JSC in HCM City, four to five transport firms had registered fare increases for the holiday, mainly on routes to the Mekong Delta, with fares expected to rise 20-25 per cent from normal days. — VNA/VNS