HCM CITY— The number of bookings for tours during the upcoming holiday celebrating Liberation Day and May Day, from April 29 to May 2, has risen by 15-25 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to tour operators.

The number of bookings at Fiditour increased by 25 per cent over the same period last year, said Trần Thị Bảo Thu, the company’s communication and marketing director.

Bookings for tours to foreign countries have filled up, while domestic tours are expected to close four to five days prior to departure, she said, adding that 90 per cent of tours were booked in advance.

Package tours to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have sold well due to good prices and easy visa applications via travel agents.

A four-day tour to Taiwan and South Korea costs around VNĐ10 million and VNĐ13.99 million, respectively, cheaper than some domestic tours.

Vietravel expects to serve 20,000 holiday-makers, a year-on-year increase of 15 per cent, said Trần Thị Việt Hương, the company’s communication and marketing director.

Tours to foreign countries are almost fully booked, while 70 per cent of domestic tours have sold out, Hương said.

The long holiday and reasonable prices have increased travel demand, said Phạm Thị Bích Ngọc, deputy director of Vietrantour.

Vietrantour has been working with airlines, transport service firms, hotels and restaurants to get prices that are 30 per cent cheaper than market prices for tours, she said.

Four-day tours from Hà Nội to Đà Nẵng/Hội An, Nha Trang, Phú Quốc and Đà Lạt are priced from VNĐ 4.7-5.9 million (US$208-260).

A package tour to Israel costs VNĐ55.9 million (US$2,470), which is as much as the return fare of a Hà Nội-Israel air ticket.

Tour packages from Hà Nội to the Maldives have also been popular due to reasonable prices and attractive destinations.

Trần Tuấn Anh, deputy director of Vietravel Hà Nội, said the number of bookings for the upcoming holiday was expected to rise by 18-20 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Tour prices have remain unchanged or are even cheaper than usual, Anh said.

Domestic tours

Tours to foreign countries have outstripped domestic tours due to competitive prices, good service and the attraction of new experiences.

Airfares as well as prices for accommodation and hospitality services at domestic tourist destinations are more expensive than usual, said Trần Thế Dũng, deputy director of Young Generation Travel Company.

“Domestic tours have sunk, while foreign tours have sold out,” Dũng said.

It is difficult to keep prices of package tours unchanged during the holiday due to the rising costs of plane tickets and services for tourists.

The cost of plane tickets for the Sài Gòn-Hà Nội route, for example, rose from nearly VNĐ3 million (US$132) to nearly VNĐ4 million during the holidays.

Domestic tours to beaches such as Phú Quốc, Côn Đảo and Nha Trang, as well as Đà Nẵng/Hội An, Hà Nội/Yên Tử and Hạ Long Bay, have been bestsellers for the upcoming holiday period. —VNS