Domestic traveling becoming attractive with dirt-cheap tours
01/03/09 (GMT+7)
Tour fees have become the cheapest ever, which has made people think that they need to put off their work to go traveling.
Let’s go
A group of young employees in a state-owned enterprise has decided to buy a tour to travel the Cuu Long River Delta on the weekend just because they find the tour fee very attractive, only VND3.26 million/traveler for the four day and three night trip.
Hoang, a member of the group, said that he and his friends have been ‘under a charm’ because of the offered overly-cheap tour fee. Besides, Hoang also bought the tour because he wants to find out if the tour quality is as good as it is advertised.
Vietnam travel firms all told VietNamNet that despite tour fee decreases, the tour quality will be the same. Luu Duc Ke, Director of Hanoitourist, said that all the service providers, from travel firms, airlines and hotels have committed to reduce the fee and keep the same service quality.
Le Thu Hang, Head of the Market Division No. 3 under Vietnamtourism-Hanoi, also said that service providers have been enduring service fee reductions in order to lure more travelers.
With the very cheap tours, the number of travelers has begun increasing. Ke from Hanoitourist said that a sharp increase in number of travelers has not been seen, but there have been more travelers these days. Especially, travelers may find it difficult to book low-cost tours for the April 30 – May 1 holiday, as people seem to rush to travel on the long holiday.
Ke said that Hanoitourist’s low-cost tours for the holiday are nearly sold out.
Pham Duc Hoa, Deputy Head of the Domestic Traveling Division under Saigontoutist, said that his firm’s tours with normal tour fees have been selling well. But he said that sale of low-cost tours is remaining below expectations, as it is very difficult to book air tickets with Vietnam Airlines.
Hoa said that the air carrier now only provides a certain proportion of cheap air tickets on every flight. Meanwhile, a lot of travel firms have joined Vietnam Airlines’ airfare reduction program, under which the air carrier offers a 60% discount for air tickets (16 firms in the south).
Therefore, Hoa said, there are not many clients who can travel with low-cost tours, as firms have to book 15 days in advance. The strict requirements have made the low-cost tours suitable for travelers in groups, not separated travelers.
Domestic tours now competitive
According to Vu The Binh, Head of the Travel Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), to date, tour fee reductions have been applied to 60 domestic tours.
The tours to Nha Trang sea city, Buon Me Thuot and Can Tho Cities have been promoted by most travel firms. Vietnamtourism-Hanoi has launched a series of tours with sharp tour fee reductions of VND800,000-2.5 million per traveler.
The tours are designed for travelers in groups of 10-15 people. The tour from Hanoi to Cat Ba island (three days and two nights) costs only VND1.7 million per traveler, the Hanoi-Sapa (three days and four nights) VND2 million per traveler, Hanoi-Quy Nhon (three days and two nights) VND2.888 million, Hanoi-Nha Trang-Vinpearl-Dat Lat (6 days and five nights) VND6.188 million, Hanoi-Hue-Lang Co (four days and three nights) VND3.479 million.
Saigontourist also plans to sell the tours with fee reductions of 5-10%, from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang – Hanoi, Phan Thiet – Nha Trang – Dat Lat, from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc island.
Binh said that Vietnamese people tend to prefer traveling abroad, even with economic difficulties, especially when neighboring countries are offering very attractive tours.
Therefore, Binh said, the program on stimulating domestic traveling aims to lure travelers to make domestic Vietnam tours.
More and more travelers have chosen to make domestic tours as domestic tours have become competitive with outbound tours. “This can be achieved because we have reached the agreement with over 10,000 firms,” Binh said.
(Source: VietNamNet, URL: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/travel/2009/02/832043/)
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