First day of Tet: Vietnamese tourists eagerly depart for spring travel, international tourists eagerly celebrate Vietnamese Tet

On the first day of the new year, at the airport, train station and on tourist buses, the atmosphere is bustling and joyful with tourists on the day of departure for spring travel.

Ngày mùng 1 Tết: khách Việt nô nức khởi hành du xuân, khách quốc tế háo hức ăn Tết Việt - Ảnh 1. — Tourists excitedly set out on the first day of Tet - Photo: QN

In the joyful atmosphere welcoming the new year 2025, hundreds of tourist groups in Ho Chi Minh City set off to celebrate the New Year on January 29, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

At Vietravel headquarters in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, dozens of tourists were present early in the morning to start their New Year tours. The lucky tourists received lucky red envelopes and enjoyed the performance of the Lion and Dragon Dance troupe.

High priced tours are popular

According to a representative of Vietravel, this year the company welcomed and served nearly 150,000 domestic and international spring tourists. As of the morning of the first day of Tet, the occupancy rate had reached 96%. In addition to the headquarters, the company's branches nationwide also held departure ceremonies for special tourists.

"The special trend in choosing Tet tours this year among customers is that they are willing to spend more to experience high-end tours, stay at luxury resorts or participate in specially designed, exclusive itineraries.

In addition, Tet is also an occasion for family reunions, so tours for large groups, combining multiple generations in the family, are very popular. Many customers look for tours associated with unique cultural experiences such as spring trips to pagodas, temples or participating in traditional festivals at the destination" - Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Marketing Director of Vietravel Company, assessed the trend.

Also on the first day of Tet, Saigontourist Travel welcomed the Celebrity Solstice cruise ship with 3,000 tourists from the US, Canada, UK, Australia... to "break ground" to explore Da Nang, Hoi An, and Hue.

According to the itinerary, international cruise passengers will continue to visit Ho Chi Minh City, Tien Giang, Ba Ria - Vung Tau and leave Vietnam on the evening of the 3rd day of Tet.

In addition to the number of international visitors to Vietnam by sea, during the 2025 Lunar New Year, the company will continue to welcome 24 international river ships, including Toum Tiou, Indochine, and Lan Diep from Cambodia, passing through the Tien River border gate to Tan Chau - Chau Doc - Sa Dec - Vinh Long - Cai Be - My Tho - Ho Chi Minh City.

The cruise takes visitors to visit Ba Chua Xu Temple, Tay An Pagoda, Chau Phong Cham Village, Kien An Cung Pagoda, Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House, Sa Dec Market, Binh Hoa Phuoc Islet, Thoi Son Islet, Cu Chi Tunnels and explore Saigon City Tour, Cho Lon area - District 5.

Khách Việt nô nức khởi hành du xuân ngày mùng Một, ngày quốc tế háo hức đón Tết Việt - Ảnh 2. — German guests visit Nguyen Hue flower street on the first day of Tet - Photo: TTD

Ms. Doan Thi Thanh Tra - Deputy General Director of Saigontourist Travel - said that from December 23 to the first day of Tet, the system nationwide served a total of more than 20,000 visitors. The main departure points for Tet 2025 tours are concentrated in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, and Can Tho. In the Ho Chi Minh City market alone, the company served 200 groups with a total of 7,000 Vietnamese visitors on domestic and international tours.

With a 9-day holiday, Lunar New Year 2025 is an opportunity for tourists to enjoy ideal spring trips. Travel companies have launched a series of attractive promotional programs right from the beginning of the season, offering customers many incentives as well as choices suitable to their needs and actual financial situation.

Many new tours for tourists to Ho Chi Minh City

Besides organizing tours for Vietnamese tourists during the spring, Ho Chi Minh City also welcomes a large number of international visitors during this special holiday.

Wang Yin (China) and her husband said they had time to buy traditional Vietnamese ao dai to take pictures of Tet flowers. "Chinese people also celebrate Lunar New Year, but the warm and sunny weather in Ho Chi Minh City is completely different from our hometown. My children love the atmosphere here, both familiar and different," Yin shared.

Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism said that in order to meet the diverse needs of domestic and foreign tourists, preparations for serving tourists have been implemented early. Since the last months of 2024, many travel and accommodation businesses have introduced new tourism products and services, suitable for many types of tourists.

It introduces cultural, historical, spiritual, artistic and culinary tours to connect metro line 1 with cultural, historical, entertainment and shopping locations or iconic buildings of the city such as Ben Thanh market, Bui Vien walking street, City Theater, Notre Dame Cathedral, etc.

This creates opportunities for tourists to explore Ho Chi Minh City with interesting and diverse experiences, from new attractions and entertainment to traditional products.

New tourism products launched in time for Tet 2025 include: Ton Duc Thang Museum, which is not only a place to commemorate and pay tribute to President Ton Duc Thang but also an interesting destination for those who want to learn about the life and career of this talented leader, as well as important stages in the nation's revolutionary history.

In addition, the newly launched “Steel Land” experience stage also promises to become an attractive tourism product, attracting a large number of tourists and residents, contributing to increasing the attractiveness of the city's historical and cultural tourism segment.

VinWonders Grand Park amusement park with its grand scale, VinWonders Grand Park promises to be an ideal destination for families, friends and visitors of all ages.

Inner city products for domestic and international visitors include dozens of products with diverse types of sightseeing, culture, and history such as: the program to visit the Moon War Zone in Cu Chi; Thieng Lieng community tourism increasingly improves service quality, bringing satisfaction to visitors...