Phu Quoc and Sa Pa are 'hot spots' during the April 30 holiday

Inside a resort in Phu Quoc. Photo: Sailing Club

A survey conducted on April 3 by Mustgo - a booking platform with more than 2,000 hotel partners nationwide - showed that Phu Quoc is a bright spot for domestic tourism on the occasion of April 30. The pre-booking rate for the April 30 holiday at Phu Quoc hotels recorded positive growth in some segments. Specifically, the 5-star segment in the North Island area achieved a pre-booking rate of about 50%, with Sol by Melia Phu Quoc surpassing it at over 80%. Large-scale hotels such as Wyndham recorded pre-booking rates ranging from 30 - 35%.

The 4-star segment and hotels in the central area have a pre-booking rate of about 70%, while the South Island area reaches 50 - 60%. In the high-end villa segment, Premier Village reaches about 70%, New World records a rate of over 50%; some peak days such as April 30, May 1, May 2 have stopped accepting reservations.

The current source of guests is still mainly international guests, however the proportion of domestic guests has increased significantly compared to the same period in 2024. Notably, most accommodation establishments have removed the surcharge applied during the April 30 holiday period, showing a clear trend of stimulating domestic demand from service providers.

According to Mr. Tran Quoc Hung, Head of Mustgo Product Development Department, the presence of international visitors helps Phu Quoc maintain a stable capacity of 50 - 60%. During the 5-day April 30 holiday, Phu Quoc also attracts domestic visitors who want to relax and explore eco-tourism and island destinations. It is predicted that high-end resorts here will be fully booked during the holiday.

In the southern region, Vung Tau and Phan Thiet are also predicted to be top destinations. Data from Agoda shows that these two places ranked second and third respectively in the list of 5 domestic destinations searched the most by Vietnamese tourists during the period of April 30 - May 4.

Currently, Mustgo records that the room occupancy rate for April 30 in Phan Thiet is 60-70% for the 5-star segment and 50-60% for the 3-4 star segment. However, guests tend to book at the last minute, so this number will change dramatically as the holiday approaches. Similarly, Vung Tau currently records an occupancy rate of about 20-40% for all segments during the holiday. The project to renovate Thuy Van Bai Sau street is still in the process of completion, so guests have not booked early.

In addition, tourists also tend to switch to Ho Tram, helping the average room occupancy rate at resorts reach 40 - 60%, while The Grand Ho Tram currently has very few rooms left.

Room occupancy in Da Lat is currently only 50 - 60%, but this is not a worrying sign because guests mainly travel by road from the south and will book close to the holiday. In Khanh Hoa, room occupancy in Nha Trang and Cam Ranh are both at an average of 40 - 60%; the local resort segment in Cam Ranh alone is currently at 80%.

Da Nang topped Agoda's search list and also recorded good bookings, according to Mustgo. The 5-star beachfront hotel segment of international chains recorded room occupancy rates of about 50%. Domestic 4-5 star beachfront hotels averaged 70%. Some small-scale hotels with less than 150 rooms were fully booked. In the city center, occupancy rates were about 10% lower than beachfront establishments, indicating that tourists still prioritize staying by the sea.

Tourists and locals surfing on the beach in Da Nang, April 2024

In Hoi An, the beachfront resort area specializing in domestic tourists recorded an occupancy rate of about 50%. Resorts focusing on the European market had a lower occupancy rate of 10-15%. The old town area recorded an occupancy rate of 40%. In addition, 60% of hotels and resorts in the Hoi An area did not apply surcharges during the April 30 holiday.

Other destinations such as Ha Tinh and Nghe An mainly welcome local guests, so accommodation facilities still have many rooms, most of which are only 35-40% full. Mustgo representatives said that guests usually only book 7-10 days in advance or at the last minute.

According to Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Tourism, domestic destinations that are easy to travel to by private car or train will attract tourists during the holidays. For tourists from Ho Chi Minh City, besides easily accessible destinations that do not require planes such as Nha Trang and Da Lat, tourist groups still tend to go to the North to find new experiences in Sa Pa, Ha Long, and Moc Chau.

In the Northern region, Mustgo noted that Sa Pa is still the top destination, attracting both Northern and Southern tourists to travel in groups. The 3-star segment recorded a current occupancy rate of about 70%. For the 4-star segment, most hotels are almost fully booked with an occupancy rate of 85 - 90%. On April 30, there were still a small number of vacant rooms, while on May 1 and 2, almost all rooms were sold out. On May 3, the occupancy rate was about 50% due to the end of the holiday.

The 5-star segment recorded occupancy rates for April 30 and May 1 at around 75%. Bookings for May 2 and 3 were lower, at around 50%.

Quang Ninh also recorded positive signals with the 5-star segment reaching 60 - 75%; the 3 - 4-star segment even higher, reaching 70 - 80%. Some hotels in this group were almost fully booked. During the holiday period, some hotels applied mandatory meal requirements for guests, showing high demand for rooms.

The Ha Long Carnival event will take place on May 1 with many activities and entertainment programs, expected to attract a large number of tourists to the city during the holiday.

This year’s 4/30 holiday lasts 5 days, from 4/30 to 5/4, promising to boost both domestic and international tourism. According to Mustgo representative, domestic bookings have not been outstanding except for some hot spots such as Sa Pa, Quang Ninh. However, the company still forecasts that the number of guests will be better than last year, especially close to the holiday.
TH (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/phu-quoc-sa-pa-la-diem-nong-dip-nghi-le-30-4-408811.html