The early decision for the 9-day Tet holiday has stimulated Vietnamese tourists to travel. Some travel companies have recorded that the number of service bookings has reached 30% of the plan after only one week and continues to increase.
After hearing the news of the proposed 9-day Tet holiday, Hoang Vu, who lives in Hanoi, had planned a trip to China with his family since September but had not yet finalized it for fear of changes. When the holiday schedule was announced, through On November 26, he said he would arrange for the whole family to go to Jiuzhaigou from the second day of Tet (January 30, 2025). Vu commented that the long period and early closing would give him time to prepare for Tet and the trip.
Travel companies believe that the nine-day holiday will have a positive impact on the domestic and international tourism industry after a difficult year. Vice President of the Hanoi Tourism Association Nguyen Tien Dat commented that the most obvious benefit is that tourism demand is evenly distributed, avoiding congestion at ports, buses, and airports like in previous years.
"People have more time to plan their vacations, from going back to their hometowns to traveling domestically, and travel agencies benefit greatly," said Mr. Dat.
Companies can split their travel into multiple trips throughout the holiday, helping to increase revenue and avoid supply shortages. This also helps to reduce pressure on tourism services, from accommodation to entertainment attractions.
Deputy General Director Pham Anh Vu of Vietnam Tourism also said that the long holiday schedule strongly stimulates people's travel needs, especially when the holiday is over. New Year holiday In just one day, tourists hardly go out. In addition, the vacation plan is finalized early, creating favorable conditions for travel companies to prepare suitable tourism products, negotiate prices with partners, and avoid inconveniences that occurred during the recent April 30-May 1 holiday.
80% of Vietnam Tourism's year-end and new year products are currently focused on the Lunar New Year. The number of service reservations as of early December reached 30% of the plan, and is expected to continue to increase until the end of the month. A company representative said they are working with partners to provide services for the "huge" number of customers during Tet, estimated at nearly 30,000, an increase of 20-30% compared to last year.
According to many travel agencies, this year's holiday is suitable for long-term travel programs. Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tung, Director of Danh Nam Travel, said that he had prepared early since the proposal to build up to 80% of Tet tours as 5-7 day products.
Mr. Tung predicts that Tet tours with groups of 25-30 people will easily reach 100% occupancy rate from mid-January. The programs expected to attract customers are Dubai 6 days; Beijing - Shanghai, Lijiang - Shangri-La or Chongqing - Jiuzhaigou.
"Customers are no longer constrained by short trips like before," said Ms. Pham Kim Nhung of Startravel Nhung. This cruise tour specialist said that this year the company's products received early attention, the long holiday helps tourists choose flexible departure dates, avoiding ticket shortages or high service prices near Tet.
Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Director of Vietravel Marketing Department, suggested that there should be a long-term holiday and Tet holiday plan according to the 5-year criteria. This will help businesses manage more effectively, while also creating conditions for people to have time to prepare vacation and travel plans. Adjustments if any should be made every 5 years to ensure stability.
Ms. Khanh gave an example of Japan, where people have about 16 days off a year, not including weekends, including holidays such as Lunar New Year, Golden Week and Ubon. Long fixed holidays help Japanese people plan their work and travel clearly and proactively.
Mr. Dat added that workers are increasingly working hard and lack time to rest to help restore physical and mental energy. The association representative also noted that Vietnam has very few days off compared to other Asian countries.
Vietnam has about 10-12 days off each year with major holidays such as Lunar New Year, National Day and Hung Kings' Commemoration Day. Meanwhile, countries such as Japan, South Korea and Thailand have about 15-16 days off per year, thanks to long holidays such as Golden Week or Lunar New Year. Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia also have 11-15 days off with various religious and ethnic festivals.
"Maintaining a long, stable holiday helps people plan their vacations and travel early, instead of adjusting them every year," said Mr. Dat, emphasizing that a long, fixed holiday encourages people to travel, stimulates consumption, and has a positive impact on the economy.
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