Vietnamese tourists increasingly like to escape Tet to travel

Vietnamese tourists take photos at Kieu Tu Snow Mountain, Yunnan, China, December 2024

This year, Minh Khanh and his wife, along with his parents, decided to buy a tour to Lijiang - Shangri-La departing from January 26 to January 31 (the 27th to the first day of Tet). Tourists living in Hanoi said they were tired of the hustle and bustle of cleaning the house before Tet and just wanted to "enjoy the holiday to the fullest".

Khanh said it was difficult to convince his parents at first, but in the end everyone agreed that "Tet is for resting", instead of being busy preparing and cleaning the house like every year. After the trip to China, the whole family can still enjoy the Tet atmosphere in Hanoi , visiting relatives and friends.

According to travel agencies, the trend of traveling during Tet is increasing, especially among young customers; recently, there has also been a group of three-generation families. Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Director of Marketing and Communications at Vietlux Travel Company, said that tourists traveling during Tet are mainly from big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and the number of tour bookings this year is 25% higher than last year. The company also runs some tours from the 26th of Tet to serve customers' needs.

Viet Travel Company also recorded a similar growth rate, with the majority of customers being between 25 and 45 years old with stable incomes. 60% of tourists traveling during Tet come from the southern region - where people have a more "open" mindset about traveling during Tet.

Prices for tours during Tet this year have increased by 10-15% compared to last year, but are 20-30% cheaper than tours during Tet; for example, tours to the North during Tet cost 8-9 million VND per person, but during Tet, they cost 12 million VND. However, company representatives said that price is not the main reason for the increase in the trend of traveling during Tet.

"Many people are tired of preparing for Tet and eating all day, and by the 30th of Tet they feel lethargic," said Deputy General Director Pham Anh Vu of Viet Tourism. In addition, he sees that young people are no longer bound by traditional thinking, and want to enjoy the Tet holiday to the fullest and have fun.

Not only young people, Danh Nam Travel's data shows that the 40-60 year old group accounts for 80% of customers booking tours during Tet. Director Nguyen Ngoc Tung said that most of the customers are from big cities like Hanoi, Hai Phong, many places where neighbors do not even know each other, so staying home to celebrate Tet sometimes "no longer has any meaning".

Data from travel agencies shows that there has not been much change in the trend of choosing destinations. Domestic tourism demand focuses mainly on Northern routes with Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ninh Binh and Central routes with Da Nang, Hoi An. A representative of Du Lich Viet said that customers especially like Tet tours to the North to enjoy the cold air and different experiences. Currently, the company only has 20% vacancies for Northern tours. The best-selling foreign routes are still familiar destinations such as Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and China.

According to Danh Nam Travel representative, China tours priced under 25 million VND are among the best-selling, with the occupancy rate of their itineraries such as Lijiang, Beijing - Shanghai or Jiuzhaigou currently at 90%.

"Vietnamese tourists still prefer traditional routes, which can be visited year-round and the service quality is highly appreciated by many previous tourists," said Mr. Tung.

In addition, the company realized that tourists tend to search for skiing products more at the end of the year, so it has built a series of tours with this keyword such as Chongqing - Jiuzhaigou - Jiaguo Mountain skiing, Chongqing - Jinfoshan skiing, and Jiaozi Mountain skiing. The Chongqing - Jiuzhaigou - Jiaguo Mountain skiing tour departing on the 29th of Tet has been fully booked since last month.

Although China is a popular destination, land routes such as Nanning, Guilin or Cao Bang - Tinh Tay have an occupancy rate of 50% because customers prioritize air tours because they are more convenient.

Danh Nam Travel representative said that the 2025 Tet holiday brings many expectations to travel businesses when the market has been bustling 1-2 months before Tet. This is a positive signal after tourism fell into a "silence" at the end of 2024 due to many natural disasters, while the 2025 New Year holiday is only one day, with limited travel demand.

Meanwhile, Vietlux has achieved 95% of its Tet tour business plan, with an estimated increase in the number of visitors and revenue of 25% compared to last year. The company estimates that the demand for occasional travel among Vietnamese people is still high, so it has a plan to serve during Tet to meet the demand.

VN (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/khach-viet-ngay-cang-thich-tron-tet-di-du-lich-402584.html