HCM CITY— Hundreds of discounted tours have been sold at the HCM City Tourism Fair, which wrapped up on Sunday, with bookings for international tours accounting for more than 70 per cent of sales, according to tour operators.

A representative from TransViet Travel said 80 per cent of customers booked international tours, with prices starting at VNĐ9 million (US$395), at the company’s booth on the first day of the four-day fair.

Tours to Japan and South Korea accounted for 50 per cent of bookings, followed by China, Taiwan and other destinations in Southeast Asia.

Around 800 visitors booked tours at Saigontourist on the first day of the event.

Domestic tours with discounts of up to 50 per cent were also fully booked on the first day.

Trần Thị Kim Huyền, 57, from Bình Tân District bought a three-day tour to Phú Quốc Island at Saigontourist for two people at a cost of VNĐ2.7 million (US$118), down from the normal price of VNĐ5.6 million (US$245).

“It’s a really good price,” she said.

Besides the Phú Quốc tour, she is also looking for deals to China.

“My husband and I haven’t yet travelled abroad so we want to buy an international tour at a reasonable price,” Huyền said.

Bến Thành Tourist sold more than 100 tours on the first day. Only 20-30 per cent of bookings were for domestic tours to Phú Quốc, Đà Nẵng and Hạ Long.

Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Mai, marketing and communications manager at Bến Thành Tourist, said the company offered discounts and promotions valued at VNĐ350 million (US$15,350) at the fair.

Tours to Japan for four to five days cost only VNĐ30 million (US$1,300), much lower than normal prices, Mai said.

Almost all international tours saw prices fall by 10-20 per cent compared to five years ago, she said.

Prices of international tours are considered "competitive" compared to domestic tours.

Most tour operators attributed the slump in sales of domestic tours to rising prices, particularly during public holidays.

The annual event held by the HCM City’s Department of Tourism attracted more than 70 tour operators, hotels, restaurants, airlines and provincial tourism agencies with 180 booths.

It aimed to create opportunities for local people to access promotion programmes in leisure travel as well as stimulate tourism demand.

Lê Thân, director of Tourism Promotion Centre in Bình Thuận Province, said that the fair is a great opportunity to introduce the province’s tourist destinations to travellers in HCM City. — VNS