After Tet, spring overseas tours are incredibly cheap

After Lunar New Year, many Vietnamese tourists start to look into overseas tours, especially spring tours in some European countries, with spring usually starting in March and ending around May.

A group of Vietnamese tourists in France - Photo: CHAU LOAN

This is also an opportunity for businesses to launch many foreign tours with rich prices, along with many attractive promotions and discounts.

However, many experts recommend that if you want to enjoy a tour that is "worth the money", you should choose reputable companies instead of just paying attention to the tour price.

'Dizzy' with overseas tours to welcome spring

The family plans to return to Europe to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary, but after surveying a few travel companies, Ms. Ho Thi Xuan (an office worker in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) does not know which reputable travel company to choose among the many "winged" advertisements about tour prices and service quality.

"Five years ago, my husband and I traveled independently. Now that we have two small children, we want to buy a tour for peace of mind. But after doing some research, I was dazzled by the surprisingly cheap tours that made me skeptical. There are also many routes to similar countries, with departure times also falling in April and May, but the prices are all the same. I don't know which tour to buy is really good quality," said Ms. Xuan.

Our records also show that the prices of European tours offered by travel companies are extremely diverse, from nearly 50 million VND to over 100 million VND. For example, a travel agency based in Ho Chi Minh City offers 11 different tours. The cheapest is a 10-day tour to France, Switzerland and Italy, departing in April and May with prices starting from only 50 million VND.

For an 8-day tour in Switzerland, departing near the end of April, this company offers a tour price of 100 million VND. Meanwhile, on the fanpage of a large travel company, it also introduces a full package tour to Switzerland - Germany - Austria for 8 days and 7 nights for just over 75 million VND, flying with a 5-star airline. Another travel company also introduces nearly 30 tours to Europe in 2025, with prices ranging from over 55 million VND to over 150 million VND.

To attract customers, in addition to offering attractive tour prices, many travel companies also announce many promotional programs. "We have a 9-day, 9-night tour to France - Belgium - Netherlands - Luxembourg - Germany that is currently on a huge promotion, including all visa services but the price is less than 50 million VND..." - Ms. Van, an employee of a travel company, introduced.

According to this employee, if you buy the tour early, depending on the time of transfer, you will get an additional discount of 5-10%. In addition, you will also receive a Seine River cruise ticket, a ticket to visit the cherry blossom garden in France, the world's largest tulip garden Keukenholf (Netherlands)... The company increases promotions to stimulate demand," said Ms. Van.

Directly reducing tour fees is also a way for travel agencies to attract customers to book tours. For example, with a 10-day, 9-night tour to Switzerland, a travel agency said it would reduce 4 million VND/person if customers book the tour at least 150 days before departure, and 1 million VND/person if they book the tour 60 days before departure. If the group is 5-10 people, it can reduce an additional 2-3 million VND/person.

Price must go with quality of service

Acknowledging that the market for overseas tours is very diverse in price, Mr. Tu Quy Thanh, Director of Lien Bang Tourism Company, recommends that tourists should consult the experiences of relatives and friends before choosing to buy a tour from a certain travel company. Customers can also search for a branded travel company or choose from the list published by the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association.

"Comparing prices is one thing, but the important thing is the service. Tour prices are different due to the price of accompanying services. For example, it is also a 3-star hotel, but a 3-star hotel in District 1 is different from a 3-star hotel in a certain suburban district. In the end, you need to go to the travel agency's office to get professional advice before deciding to buy a tour," Mr. Thanh analyzed.

In cases where there are problems, such as food and drink, the menu is not as committed in the contract when buying the tour, the customer should frankly discuss with the company if the quality of the meal is not as committed. If the company does not adjust, it is possible to request a refund of the difference.

"There are units that flexibly change the dishes to avoid boredom, Asian, European, Vietnamese, Chinese dishes... and notify customers in advance, which is accepted as appropriate. If there is no reason for the change, a refund of the difference can be requested. When returning to Vietnam, it is necessary to immediately report to the Department of Tourism and relevant agencies to claim customer rights as well as filter the overseas tour market," Mr. Thanh suggested.

Mr. Le Truong Hien Hoa, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, also said that in order to enjoy a quality tour, worthy of the money spent, tourists need to find out in advance the service quality of the tour seller. Tourists should choose to buy from an experienced, reputable organization because the service quality will be guaranteed.

"Tourists should also buy tours from companies with experience in certain markets, because there are travel companies specializing in China, businesses specializing in the US market, the European market... Customers should also check on Google the places the tour company recommends, ask clearly about the hotel details, destination, how to stay, which places to visit...", Mr. Hoa recommends.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan (owner of a resort in Mui Ne, Phan Thiet), tours to Europe are usually long trips, so before buying a tour, tourists need to pay attention to the tour's inclusions/exclusions, especially entrance tickets, at tourist attractions... to avoid additional costs. In addition, special attention must be paid to the convenience of the means of transport.

11 million

According to the Vietnam Tourism Association, in 2024, the number of Vietnamese people traveling abroad will reach over 11 million, nearly double the number of 5.7 million in 2023.

In which, all markets have growth, the most are China with more than 4.5 million visitors, Thailand with more than 1.1 million visitors, Japan with 621,000 visitors, Korea with 510,000 visitors, Singapore with more than 400,000 visitors, Taiwan (China) with 370,000 visitors, Malaysia with 389,000 visitors, Europe with more than 250,000 visitors, America with 130,000 visitors...

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sau-tet-tour-xuat-ngoai-du-xuan-re-den-kho-tin-20250215073931015.htm