Tourists pick strawberry at a farm in the central highland city of Đà Lạt.  VNS Photo Đoàn Tùng

HCM CITY — Travel firms and tour operators in HCM City are offering a range of domestic tours with attractive discounts to revive demand after the COVID-19 shutdown.

Saigontourist Travel, one of the country’s top travel firms, is offering tours, car rentals and hotel booking services for family and other groups of less than 10 people.

Tours from HCM City to popular tourist destinations such as Đà Lạt, Nha Trang, Phan Thiết, and Cần Thơ are offered at discounts and start at VNĐ2 million (US$85) per person.

A two-day tour to Hồ Tràm Resort in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu costs VNĐ3.6 million ($154) per person but only VNĐ2.6 million ($111) for groups of four or more.

A company spokesperson said since the beginning of this month there have been inquiries from companies and state agencies about group tours in June and July.

Nguyễn Minh Mẫn, head of TST Tourist’s marketing and communications department, said many customers are looking for domestic trips.

The company is now developing tour products for the upcoming summer holidays with a focus on typical tourism types such as eco-tourism and community tourism.

Travel firms are now focusing on developing tour products and complying with infection prevention measures based on guidelines from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to ensure the safety of travellers.

Many five-star resorts and hotels are offering discounts of 20-50 per cent for stays of two to four days.

La Siesta Hội An Resort & Spa is offering rooms at VNĐ750,000 ($32) per person per day.

Resort Salinda Phú Quốc offers a 50 per cent discount on rooms while Golden Bay Đà Nẵng offers its Deluxe rooms one day free for one day’s stay at VNĐ2.5 million ($107).

Trần Thế Dũng of the HCM City Tourism Association said travel firms should co-operate with tourism service providers to offer tour packages at reasonable prices.

They should explore the discounts offered by airlines that are joining the national tourism stimulus programme to get good prices for their tour packages, he added.

Võ Thị Ngọc Thúy, deputy director of the HCM City's Department of Tourism, said tourism firms need to enhance their customers’ experience and offer attractive discounts to induce people to travel again. — VNS