Since March, tours to Northeast Asia have been bustling thanks to the cherry blossom season, with tour prices of up to more than 40 million VND still attracting Vietnamese tourists.
In March and April, Northeast Asian countries enter cherry blossom season. Cherry blossom tours are a typical product of these countries, as exciting as the season of red and yellow leaves in autumn.
Travel agencies said that prices for Northeast Asia cherry blossom tours this year remain stable. Tourists interested in cherry blossom tours have been active since late February and early March. Many customers have booked their services 3 weeks to 1 month before the flowers bloom.
Vietnamese tourists check in cherry blossoms in Japan, photo taken in 2023. Photo: Hoang Anh
Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel, said that by mid-March, the company had closed 100% of tours to Japan to see cherry blossoms. The company's website also removed the tour advertisement because the groups were fully booked and preparing to depart at the end of March.
In the Northeast Asia region, this company’s tours to Japan are more popular this year than tours to Korea or Taiwan, although the prices are almost twice as high. A 6-day, 5-night tour flying Vietnam Airlines costs less than 35 million VND. A 5-day, 4-night tour flying Vietjet costs less than 30 million VND. The tours depart continuously in March and April, with an average of one flight schedule per week for each departure.
Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour, said that customers have been inquiring about cherry blossom viewing programs since the beginning of the year and started booking 2 months ago. By mid-March, tours to Northeast Asia during cherry blossom season had completed more than 80% of bookings. The number of bookings is expected to increase by 25-30% compared to 2023.
Currently, the company's Taiwan tour has the same number of bookings as tours to Japan. Compared to other destinations in Northeast Asia, Taiwan tours have the best prices, starting at VND12 million for a 5-day, 4-night trip. Although the Japan tour is the most expensive in the region, at around VND40 million per person, it remains stable. "Japan is a famous destination for its large-scale cherry blossom season, with the blooming period lasting for many different tourist destinations," said Ms. Thu.
According to Ms. Thu, cherry blossom tours are often bustling a month in advance because the flower viewing program depends a lot on the weather, the time the flowers bloom, and traveling to Northeast Asian countries requires visa procedures. Therefore, customers often plan 1-2 months in advance. Not only customers who buy tours, but also those who travel independently also book air tickets and plan to see the flowers many months in advance.
Cherry blossoms bloom on both sides of Yeojwacheon Stream, Changwon, South Korea, April 2023. Photo: Thanh Tuan
Tran Anh Ngoc, a freelancer in Ho Chi Minh City, said he had planned to go see the flowers early and chose Taiwan because the cost was 2-3 times cheaper than going to Korea or Japan. He planned to travel independently, booking a round-trip ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Taipei in mid-March. The male tourist estimated the total cost for 5 days and 4 nights at about 16 million VND.
According to Anh Ngoc, the cost of traveling to Taiwan is not too expensive, and the procedures are simple. Compared to traveling to some domestic destinations, the price is even the same. "A round-trip ticket costs the same as a flight from Hanoi to Phu Quoc at the same time," said Mr. Ngoc.
Ms. Phan Huynh Phuong Hoang, Deputy General Director of Vietravel Tourism Company, commented that the price of tours to Northeast Asian countries during cherry blossom season this year has not fluctuated much compared to last year. The level of interest of tourists in these tours has increased compared to previous years because of the open visa policy. Currently, applying for visas to countries in the Northeast Asian region is much easier. Tourists only need to prove their finances, a stable job or source of income, and a valid passport to be able to apply for a tourist visa. In particular, applying for a Taiwan visa is the most convenient because the procedure is simple, tourists can apply online and receive results within the day.
Cherry blossoms in Ibaraki town, Japan, March 2023. Photo: Hoang Anh
Ms. Phuong Hoang said that cherry blossom tours are implemented in markets located in temperate zones, with cool climates, and flowers blooming in forests creating beautiful landscapes, so they are of interest to Vietnamese tourists. Visa policies are increasingly open, airfares are stable, and tourism promotion agencies in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan continuously have promotional programs to the Vietnamese market, which are also factors that make cherry blossom tours increasingly popular.
Bich Phuong
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