Beach tourism remains a popular choice for Vietnamese people, with Sam Son being crowded with swimmers, but not all destinations are equally packed.
Top destinations favored by many tourists this summer include Ha Long (Quang Ninh), Sam Son (Thanh Hoa), Da Nang , and Phan Thiet (Binh Thuan).
According to data from Mustgo, a booking platform for travel agents and partner of over 2,000 hotels nationwide, Sam Son continues to maintain its summer appeal year-round with occupancy rates reaching up to 90% on weekends. At times, weekday occupancy rates are even comparable to weekend rates. Beachfront hotels in Sam Son offer a full range of 3- and 4-star options, resulting in occupancy rates 15-20% higher than hotels in the city center.
Pham Lan, a tourist who arrived in Sam Son on June 8th, shared that she had to "struggle to swim" when she came to Sam Son. Due to the large number of visitors, families with young children have to be careful because "if you take your eyes off them for even a moment, you'll get separated." Aside from the not-so-clean beach, she was quite satisfied with the trip, especially the fact that she didn't encounter any price gouging.
Sam Son beach was crowded with people in the middle of last week. Photo: Pham Lan
On June 10th and 11th, Ha Long City's tourism center welcomed approximately 100,000 visitors, a 20% increase compared to the same period the previous week. Of these, Ha Long Bay received nearly 40,000 visitors, and the Quang Ninh Museum received around 7,000. Other destinations such as the Sunworld complex and Tuan Chau also saw an upward trend in visitor numbers. Coastal and island areas of Quang Ninh province, including Van Don, Co To, and Mong Cai, also received tens of thousands of tourists.
According to Top One Travel, coastal destinations such as Ha Long, Sam Son, and Cat Ba (Hai Phong) remain popular during the summer. This year, tourists are tightening their travel budgets, so destinations that are easily accessible by car or private vehicle are preferred.
On average, these types of trips are about 30-50% cheaper than air travel. Bookings for these three destinations also account for 30% of the company's total summer bookings. Customers tend to book closer to the date, rather than rushing, as there isn't currently a shortage of available rooms.
A view of Bai Chay beach on the morning of June 11th. Photo: Le Tan
In the central region, Da Nang remains a top destination despite current hotel price increases, partly due to the upcoming fireworks festival. Data from Mustgo indicates that hotel prices in Da Nang have increased by approximately 30% compared to before. Occupancy rates for 3-4 star beachfront hotels on weekends consistently exceed 80%, while weekdays are around 60% (during the fireworks festival). However, hotels, especially those priced at around 2 million VND per night, are showing a slight downward trend in prices.
Mustgo recorded an average hotel room cost in Da Nang ranging from 600,000 VND to one million VND per night. Tourists prefer staying in areas such as My Khe Beach, An Thuong tourist street, along the Han River, Dragon Bridge, and Con Market.
Quy Nhon is also a popular destination with stable occupancy rates, ranging from 40% to 60% for 2-3 star and 4-5 star segments.
In the southern region, Phu Quoc is no longer as "hot" as last summer. Mustgo attributes this to unfavorable weather conditions and rough seas. 2-3 star hotels in the city center have an occupancy rate of around 35-40%. 4-5 star beachfront hotels have an occupancy rate of around 30%. Occupancy rates are even lower on weekdays.
Since the beginning of June, Phu Quoc has experienced frequent, sudden rain showers, affecting tourists' experiences. However, the rain usually doesn't last long, and the four-island tours continue as normal.
Rain on May Rut Island (Phu Quoc) on the afternoon of June 12th. Photo: Truong Phu Quoc
Furthermore, the new expressway has also affected the number of tourists in Vung Tau (Ba Ria - Vung Tau) as predicted. Ms. Dinh Thi Thu Thao, Business Director of Mustgo, said that there are still relatively many rooms available in Vung Tau because a number of tourists from the south have "shifted" to Phan Thiet after the expressway opened. There are still many rooms available this week.
In Phan Thiet, during June and July alone, many hotels are fully booked on weekends. Four- and five-star hotels only have a few high-end rooms available. From July onwards, the number of weekday visitors tends to increase.
However, overall, domestic summer tourism this year is considered "less vibrant" than last year, the period immediately following the reopening after Covid-19. Due to the difficult economic situation and the much greater diversity of destinations, both domestic and international, it's difficult for any particular place to "reach its peak," according to a representative from a travel company.
Tu Nguyen - Le Tan
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