The four-day long holiday ending on September 2 (known as the National
Day) is long-awaited. It marks the last summertime vacation, allowing
the public to discover a range of products and services offered by
travel companies, both domestically and internationally.
A new domestic tour launched by major travel companies explores the
culture of the H’Mong people in the northwest, with a focus on sampling
local cuisine and participating in the famous love market.
According to Nguyen Cong Hoan, Deputy Director of Hanoi Redtours, his
company is expecting more than 800 customers to book their tour to the
northwestern region to spend National Day with the H’Mong people.
Similarly, Viettravel has developed a tour for customers to attend the
largest love market for the H’Mong people, to be held on the night of
September 1. The company is expecting 15,000 tourists on this occasion, a
10 percent year-on-year increase.
Saigontourist,
one of the most prestigious travel agencies in Vietnam, is offering a
variety of trips and tours, such as exploring the roads in the
northwest set against the stunning backdrop of the yellow terraced rice
fields, or taking part in the H’Mong pan pipe festival in Dong Van, Ha
Giang.
Tours to the coast and islands are still
attractive for holidaymakers during the last days of summer, with the
most popular destinations being Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Nha Trang and Phan
Thiet, amongst others.
Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia, and Hong Kong (China) are highly popular international
destinations, not only because of the fascinating recreational
activities on offer, but also their attractive shopping opportunities,
with discounts of up to 70 percent.
According to
Viettravel, shopaholics are flocking to Malaysia, which is
considered the fourth best shopping destination in the world and the
second best in the Asian-Pacific region.
Meanwhile,
tours to other Asian countries, such as the Republic of Korea and
Japan, have started to gain popularity with Vietnamese holidaymakers.
As a result of this increased interest in Japan,
the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA) has founded a Japan Travel
Club in the South of Vietnam, which aims to provide the highest standard
of services for those planning a trip to Japan. There are now three
clubs of this kind in Vietnam.
According to
tourism experts, 85,000 Vietnamese visited Japan in 2013, marking an
increase of 55 percent compared to 2012. In the first half of 2014
alone, numbers increased by 50 percent, a trend which is predicted to
continue in years to come.
Concurrently, the number
of Japanese tourists to Vietnam has rapidly grown in recent years,
hitting a record of more than 600,000 visitors last year.
Vietnam envisions receiving 1 million Japanese visitors annually by
2017, and sending 200,000 Vietnamese tourists a year to Japan in the
same timeframe.
In July, Vietnam launched a
national campaign – “Exciting Vietnam: Vietnam – A safe, friendly
and attractive destination” aiming to boost tourism development.
In 2013, Vietnam’s tourism sector welcomed 7.57 million
international visitors and provided services for 32.5 million domestic
holiday-makers.-VNA