Dalat is fully booked on weekends.

Many accommodations in Da Lat are reporting full bookings for the weekend as tourists flock to see the cherry blossoms, coinciding with the peak season for Korean tourists.

Hearing that the cherry blossoms in Mong Dao Nguyen, 18 km from the center of Da Lat, were in full bloom, Mr. Bui Nhat, from Dong Nai , quickly searched for accommodation to visit the city from February 2nd to 4th. However, after contacting about 5 homestays and small hotels in the center of Da Lat, he was informed that all rooms were booked. Mr. Nhat then found a double room for 1.5 million VND for two nights on an app, located 1 km from the center. The hotel did not have the same beautiful view and space as the places that had previously reported being fully booked.

Quang, a photographer living in Da Lat, shared that the period leading up to and during Tet (Lunar New Year) is usually a busy time for him, taking clients to photograph and admire the cherry blossoms. According to Quang's experience, cherry blossoms typically bloom right around Tet. This year, the blossoms are blooming about 1-2 weeks later than usual according to the Gregorian calendar, but the lunar calendar is still correct, meaning they will bloom en masse right around Tet and will only fade after the holiday.

Tourists take photos with cherry blossoms at Mong Dao Nguyen, Lac Duong district, on January 18th. Photo: Quang Da Lat.

According to Mr. Quang, in the two weeks leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), the number of domestic tourists is weak, concentrated on weekends, and not crowded on weekdays. Currently, Mr. Quang has almost fully booked his services for cherry blossom photography and cloud-hunting tours for the weekends before Tet. During Tet, the peak time for bookings is from the 2nd to the 4th day of the Lunar New Year.

Mr. Nguyen Nhat Vu, Deputy General Director of Dalattourist, believes that the high occupancy rates at accommodations during the Lunar New Year season are not significantly affected by the cherry blossoms. "The cherry blossoms blooming just before Tet only attract a small number of young people from Saigon who come here on weekends," Mr. Vu explained.

Mr. Vu added that it is currently the peak holiday season for Korean tourists in Da Lat, mainly staying in 4-5 star hotels. Two weeks before Tet (Lunar New Year), hotels in this segment are fully booked for the entire week.

Meanwhile, the number of domestic tourists visiting Da Lat is currently increasing on weekends, staying in 3-star hotels, homestays, and small hotels in the city center.

During Tet (Lunar New Year), the peak booking period is from the 2nd to the 4th day. Occupancy rates at 3-star and above hotels in the Dalattourist system have reached over 90%.

According to Mr. Vu, the number of hotel bookings during the Lunar New Year period this year is only close to the pre-pandemic period of 2018-2019 because Da Lat always attracts tourists at the beginning of the year.

Ms. Dinh Thi Thu Thao, Commercial Director of Mustgo, also stated that the number of room bookings increases significantly on weekends in the two weeks leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year). Many places have occupancy rates above 80%. During the Tet holiday period, room occupancy was also high, exceeding 80% on the 2nd and 3rd days of Tet (February 11-12). In the 5-star segment, the MerPerle Hotel was fully booked from February 10 to 16 (the 1st to 7th day of Tet), while the Colline Hotel had no rooms available from February 12 to 15 (the 3rd to 6th day of Tet).

According to a survey, a homestay in Ward 10 announced that there were no rooms available on weekends (January 26-28 and February 2-4), but many options were available during the week. This accommodation was also fully booked for the entire Lunar New Year holiday, with rooms only becoming available on the 6th day of the new year. Similarly, an accommodation on Khe Sanh Street also did not accept guests on weekends leading up to Tet. During Tet, only one room for two people was available.

Mr. Le Van Trong, owner of the homestay "Did you sleep well last night?" on An Son Street, Ward 3, said that the accommodation business has been quite slow throughout the past year, only gradually stabilizing in the last months of the year. This weekend, Mr. Trong's homestay is fully booked. Currently, many guests are inquiring about booking rooms for the Lunar New Year holiday.

"Hopefully, business will pick up this Tet holiday, making up for the losses of the past period," Mr. Trong said.

According to the Lam Dong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Da Lat welcomed over 140,000 visitors during the New Year holiday, an increase of approximately 33% compared to the same period last year, due to the city's celebrations commemorating its 130th anniversary. Hotels in the 3-5 star segment achieved 85-90% occupancy, while other guesthouses and hotels reached around 75% occupancy.

Bich Phuong

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