Vietnamese tourists prioritize China tours in autumn, hesitant about tours in the North

Great Wall of China in Autumn

Representatives of many travel agencies said that the autumn travel trends of Vietnamese tourists this year have remained almost unchanged compared to previous years. Traditional destinations such as Korea, Japan, and Europe are still popular, but many people have also shifted to China.

"Special autumn destinations with reasonable prices are being prioritized by tourists," said Ms. Luu Thi Thu, Deputy Director of Hoang Viet Travel, adding that the rate of booking tours to Japan and South Korea is slower due to high costs and strict visa procedures. Meanwhile, tours to China are selling well, especially the Beijing - Shanghai, Lijiang, and Jiuzhaigou routes, with the occupancy rate from mid to late October reaching about 80%.

As of September 23, Danh Nam Travel and its Chinese tour alliance also recorded an occupancy rate of nearly 90% for China's autumn tours. The most notable itineraries are Beijing - Shanghai with the golden leaf season, priced from 21 to 24 million VND per person. In addition, the Chongqing - Jiuzhaigou tour, which was newly put into operation at the beginning of the year, also achieved an occupancy rate of nearly 80%.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tung, Director of Danh Nam Travel, the prices of China tours this year have remained almost unchanged compared to the same period last year, within the affordability of customers. Some tours such as Lijiang - Shangri-La 6 days 5 nights have decreased by about 500,000 VND compared to the same period when more airlines were operating, creating price competition.

Vietravel also noted the interest of Vietnamese tourists in China, especially in autumn destinations such as Jiuzhaigou, Lijiang or Zhangjiajie. This year, the company launched a number of domestic products, combined with connecting routes to Yunnan, China to meet the interest of tourists.

With traditional autumn itineraries like Japan, the number of interested customers is still large, according to Ms. Pham Thi Thu Huyen, Sales Director of MayTrip - a unit specializing in tours to Japan. MayTrip has about 40 groups departing in the fall and the current booking rate has reached 46%. Ms. Huyen said that customers tend to choose tours on the traditional golden route (Tokyo - Fuji - Nagoya - Kyoto), priced from 25 to 29 million VND. High-end tours, around 40-80 million VND, to regions like Hokkaido, are more selective due to economic difficulties.

To refresh the old itineraries, the company offers many cultural experiences such as watching a geisha show, wearing a kimono or staying overnight in Kyoto. According to Ms. Huyen, the price of Japan tours this fall has not changed much compared to last year. However, the price of Japan tours is likely to increase from the beginning of next year, so many customers are taking advantage of this and going early this year.

Vietnamese tourists visit Japan tour in November 2023

In addition to traditional itineraries, Vietluxtour is promoting tours to Laos this fall. The business results of Laos tours in the first 8 months of 2024 were 15% better than the same period last year, mainly corporate or individual customers aged 30 to 45, living in big cities. Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour, commented that Laos has an equally beautiful autumn because green forests cover nearly 50% of the country.

Tourists coming to Laos can travel slowly, feel relaxed, and admire the unique ancient temple architecture. The price of a Laos tour in the fall is about 13-14 million VND, depending on the hotel standard.

Regarding domestic tours, the Northeast - Northwest itineraries are usually the top choice of tourists in the fall but are currently affected by Typhoon Yagi. Hoang Viet Travel recorded a sharp decrease in booking rates for Northeast - Northwest mountainous tours because customers are afraid of floods and landslides.

Danh Nam Travel and the East-West North alliance, which is also a participating company, also reported a similar situation regarding tourists' concerns about tours to the northern mountainous region. After the storm, the alliance changed the Mu Cang Chai tour schedule from September to October to ensure the safety of guests. Meanwhile, Vietravel said it would closely monitor the weather at tourist destinations to postpone or cancel if the situation is not good.

According to a representative of Hoang Viet Travel, a large number of Vietnamese tourists are moving from the mountainous areas of the East - Northwest to the southern provinces such as Nha Trang, Da Lat, and the West during the flood season to ensure safety. With the Central Highlands route, the unit has put into operation a new destination, Ta Dung Lake, with the itinerary of Buon Ma Thuot - Dak Nong - Ta Dung Lake for 4 days and 3 nights. The Western tour also added Ha Tien to the program of Can Tho - Rach Gia - Chau Doc - Ha Tien for 4 days and 3 nights.

"The autumn tours to the Northeast and Northwest are affected after the storm, but new destinations still promise to attract visitors during this period," said Ms. Thu.

TH (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/khach-viet-uu-tien-tour-trung-quoc-mua-thu-e-ngai-tour-mien-bac-393951.html