The Japan – China tour is popular during the Ancestor’s Anniversary holiday

“15 million VND is not too expensive but it is enough to filter cheap tours and have better experiences when traveling,” Dong Nguyen Thao, 29 years old, living in Hai Phong, said about her decision to go on a 5-day, 4-night Taiwan tour on the occasion of the Anniversary.

According to Mr. Truong Minh Tuan, General Director of HVN Travel, a unit with 10 years of experience in charge of outbound tours (bringing Vietnamese tourists on international trips), Japan and China routes are the best selling products on the Anniversary.

Tour prices range from 15-30 million VND, with an average duration of 4-6 days depending on the itinerary and service standards. This tour group currently accounts for 65-75% of the total outbound tours sold at the company and increased by 20-30% over the same period last year, especially the Japanese market increased the most.

Recordings from travel company Otrip also show that Asian itineraries, especially China, are dominating, with about 80% of total tours sold, an increase of more than 20% over the same period last year. In addition to flying, many Vietnamese tourists switch to road tours due to scarcity of air tickets.

Quick survey of VnExpress With travel companies in the South and North, Northeast Asia tours are becoming the top product sought after by Vietnamese customers, with the rate of tours sold accounting for 30-40% of total tours, with some places increasing dramatically up to 80% like Otrip.

Holiday tour prices are usually 20-25% higher than weekdays depending on the route. Chinese tours have a wider price range, from 6-7 million VND to 15-40 million VND. Prices for Japanese tours fluctuate around 30-40 million VND.

Explaining why Northeast Asia tours are “hot” on this occasion, Mr. Tuan said that the reason comes from seasonal factors and experience. Japan has cherry blossom season from March to April. In addition, on April 30, Japan also has a season of wisteria, cherry blossoms, and late blooming cherries that attract tourists.

Currently, Vietnam has nearly 40 travel agencies on Japan’s list of designated travel companies. Therefore, if tourists apply for a group visa and go on a tour to Japan, the procedure to submit through these representatives is simpler and easier to pass.

Reasonable prices, mid-range segment combined with beautiful scenery in “luxurious” destinations are also the reasons why tours are purchased a lot.

In the context of international aviation fluctuations, rising flight costs and unstable schedules, China has emerged as a “perfectly balanced” choice, said Mr. Tran Van Dat, Director of travel company Otrip. The strengths of these itineraries lie in three factors: reasonable cost, easy access thanks to both air and road routes, and many beautiful natural landscapes.

Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Director of Marketing and Communications Department of Vietravel Tourism Joint Stock Company, said the notable point of this year’s holiday season is not in the increase in quantity, but in the fact that consumer behavior is shifting in a more selective direction.

Travelers consider more carefully the length of their stay, the convenience of travel, the reliability of the brand and the value of the actual experience.

During two consecutive holidays in April, the company plans to serve nearly 18,000 visitors, showing that the market’s purchasing power is still maintained at a positive level, and reflects the trend of service bookings continuing to be more clearly differentiated according to time budget and trip purpose.

Customers tend to make decisions sooner with air tours, nearby international itineraries and products that have been prepared with clear, time-optimized schedules. Family guests and guests traveling in small groups still account for a large proportion.

Representatives of travel agencies realize that the travel needs of young tourists tend to increase. However, the 30-45 year old segment still accounts for the largest proportion, playing the role of decision maker and often booking tours for the whole family. This is also a group of customers who tend to travel frequently and spend plannedly, playing a key role in outbound market growth.

Customers also prioritize experience over cheap prices, are willing to spend more to have quality itineraries, good service, and no shopping tours are preferred by many customers.

“Vietnamese customers are no longer stopping at the point of view of ‘going and showing’, but shifting to selective experiences, optimizing time and service quality,” commented an Otrip representative.