Many accommodations in Da Lat reported full rooms on weekends as tourists flocked to see cherry blossoms, coinciding with the peak season for Korean tourists.
Hearing that the cherry blossoms in Mong Dao Nguyen, 18 km from the center of Da Lat, were in full bloom, Mr. Bui Nhat, from Dong Nai, quickly looked for a room to go to the city during the period from February 2-4. However, after contacting about 5 homestays and small hotels in the center of Da Lat, he received notices that all were fully booked. Mr. Nhat then found a room for two people for 1.5 million VND for two nights on the app, 1 km from the center. The hotel did not have a beautiful view and space like the previously fully booked locations.
Mr. Quang, a photographer living in Da Lat, shared that the time before and during Tet is usually the time when he is busy taking guests to take pictures and see flowers. According to Mr. Quang's experience, the cherry blossoms usually bloom right on Tet. This year, the flowers bloomed about 1-2 weeks late according to the solar calendar, but according to the lunar calendar, they will bloom en masse right on Tet and will only fade after Tet.
Tourists check in with cherry blossoms at Mong Dao Nguyen, Lac Duong district, on January 18. Photo: Quang Da Lat
Mr. Quang said that in the two weeks before Tet, the number of domestic customers is weak, concentrated on weekends, and not crowded during the week. Currently, Mr. Quang has almost fully booked cherry blossom photography services and cloud hunting tours for the weekends before Tet. During Tet, the peak time for customers to book services is from the 2nd to the 4th.
Mr. Nguyen Nhat Vu, Deputy General Director of Dalattourist, said that the accommodation facilities that are fully booked during the Tet holiday are not affected much by the cherry blossoms blooming. "The cherry blossoms blooming before Tet only attract a small number of young people from Saigon to come here on weekends," Mr. Vu explained.
Mr. Vu added that it is currently the vacation season for Korean tourists in Da Lat, mainly staying at 4-5 star hotels. Two weeks before Tet, hotels in this segment are fully booked all week.
Meanwhile, the number of domestic tourists coming to Da Lat is currently increasing on weekends, staying at 3-star hotels, homestays, and small hotels in the center.
During Tet, the peak booking period is from the 2nd to the 4th. Room occupancy at 3-star hotels and above in the Dalattourist system has reached over 90%.
According to Mr. Vu, the number of guests booking rooms near Tet this year is only close to the pre-pandemic period of 2018-2019 because Da Lat always attracts guests at the beginning of the year.
Ms. Dinh Thi Thu Thao, Commercial Director of Mustgo, also said that in the two weeks before Tet, the number of room bookings increased on weekends. Many places have occupancy rates above 80%. During Tet, room occupancy rates are also high at over 80% on the 2nd and 3rd days of Tet (February 11-12). In the 5-star segment, MerPerle Hotel is fully booked from February 10 to 16 (the 1st to 7th days of Tet), and Colline Hotel has no more rooms available from February 12 to February 15 (the 3rd to 6th days of Tet).
According to a survey, a homestay in Ward 10 announced that there were no available rooms on weekends (January 26-28 and February 2-4), but there were many options during the week. This accommodation was also fully booked for the entire Lunar New Year, with only vacant rooms available on the 6th. Similarly, a accommodation on Khe Sanh Street also did not accept guests on weekends before Tet. During Tet, there was only one room available for 2 people.
Mr. Le Van Trong, owner of the homestay "Did you sleep well last night" on An Son Street, Ward 3, said that the accommodation business has been quite slow all year, but the last months of the year have gradually stabilized. This weekend, Mr. Trong's homestay is fully booked. Currently, many guests are inquiring about booking rooms for the Lunar New Year.
"Hopefully this Tet holiday, business will improve, making up for the past time," said Mr. Trong.
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lam Dong, Da Lat welcomed more than 140,000 visitors during the New Year holiday, an increase of about 33% compared to the same period last year due to the programs and activities held by Da Lat to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the city's founding. 3-5 star hotels reached 85-90% room occupancy, other motels and hotels reached about 75% room occupancy.
Bich Phuong
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