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| Tourists combine summer vacation with team building activities |
Choose nearby tours, travel by road
Meeting many tourists coming to Hue during the holidays of April 30 - May 1 and in May 2024, many of them shared a significant shift in their decision to choose summer travel destinations. Unlike previous years, when they chose to travel by air for long-distance tours to distant places, this year's "healing journey" will be short tours by road to save costs.
“Airfares have increased, resulting in a raise of tour prices. If traveling with the family, it incurs quite a large cost. Instead of choosing distant destinations, I rent a car for short tours within the region," shared Cao Huu Dat, a tourist from Quang Binh
According to representatives of some travel companies, airfare accounts for up to 50% of the tour price. With the pressure of domestic airfares increasing, flight tour price has increased by 20-30% depending on the route. This has led to a significant change in the number of tourists deciding to choose nearby tours and road travel.
On the other hand, the network of highways connecting Ho Chi Minh City to many southern provinces and the central region has facilitated the appeal of road tours, especially during this summer.
Ms. Duong Thi Cong Ly, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Travel Association, shared that the increase in airfares greatly affects the construction of tours. Sometimes, international tours are even more attractively priced than domestic ones, leading tourists to opt for international travel or road and rail tours. With practical demand, businesses are forced to adapt by redesigning their tour programs
In reality, the trend of choosing domestic tours and road travel is "on the rise" nationwide, and businesses are changing accordingly. In a statement, Mr. Nguyen Huu Cuong, Head of Member Management and Development at the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club, mentioned that while companies used to limit exploiting group road tours, this year they will focus on comprehensive road tour packages within a 500km radius, lasting 2-5 days, and reasonably priced from 2.5 to 5 million VND per tour.
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| A group of tourists from a company experiences SUP rowing on Tam Giang Lagoon |
In the southern provinces, many travel companies report that most domestic summer tourists this year choose to travel by car for cost-effective reasons. New highway routes shorten distances and travel times, making road travel more convenient. The demand for tours on highways in some regions has surged this year.
With convenient road transport systems, many families with private cars or easy car rentals are deciding on self-planned tours or booking road tours within nearby provinces and cities to have some experience. According to general surveys, road tour prices have not fluctuated much; some travel companies only increase road tour prices by around 5-10% compared to last year.
Developing suitable products
Due to high airfares, many travel companies are developing road, waterway, and railway products to meet tourist needs this summer of 2024. In the summer travel season 2024 launch programs, many companies introduced a variety of travel products and services at preferential prices. For air tours, the companies proactively secured fixed series of tickets early, nearly a year in advance, and advised customers to choose estimated times to select departure dates with lower prices.
The “rise” of domestic tours and road travel encourages businesses to strengthen regional links to develop tourism products. According to the representative of the Department of Tourism, this year's Hue International Arts Festival Week 2024 opening (June 7) coincides with the Danang International Fireworks Festival 2024 opening (June 8). Therefore, businesses will collaborate to offer more experiences for tourists in various localities. Tourists can conveniently travel between regions to participate in festival programs during their journey through different localities. The tourism and railway sectors are also making concerted efforts to actively coordinate together, and continue to effectively operate and attract visitors to the Central Heritage Train connecting Hue and Da Nang.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thanh, Director of Dai Bang (Eagle) Tourism Joint Stock Company, mentioned that many organizations, individuals, and groups have already booked tours. With the trend of domestic and road tours becoming attractive to summer tourists, the company actively develops new experiences for tourists, with a variety of short-day tours tailored to customers' schedules and activities. Tourists can comfortably choose, book tours, and explore Hue's cultural heritage, sea, and lagoons. New tourism products promise to offer exciting summer vacations when visiting Hue.