Summer tourism is starting to heat up.

With the increased demand from trains and roads alongside air travel, summer tourism is entering its peak season with the rise of many new trends and experiences.

Traveling far is expensive, but staying nearby means there's no accommodation available.

Planning a summer vacation in Quang Ninh on July 5th, Ms. Thanh Thuy (Hanoi) was shocked to find out on June 24th that all her usual hotels were fully booked for the entire month of July.

Beaches remain a top choice for families during the summer.

THE QUANG

She expanded her search network on booking.com, agoda, etc., but hotels with 3 stars or more that met her needs were all fully booked. Unable to find accommodation in the city center, Ms. Thanh Thuy turned her attention to Quan Lan (in Bai Tu Long Bay, Quang Ninh province) hoping this less well-known island would still have more options. However, all homestays, hotels, and resorts near Quan Lan were fully booked, with no rooms available until mid-August. Only one high-end hotel had a few rooms left, but the price was quite high, nearly 6 million VND per night. Ultimately, Ms. Thanh Thuy's group decided to consider Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc province), but they are still hesitant about choosing a hotel there as the number of suitable rooms is limited.

"Earlier, I read in the newspaper that plane tickets were selling poorly, so I checked online and found that prices were still high. Even with a Hanoi -Nha Trang ticket booked 10 days in advance, the cheapest round-trip ticket was still 4.5 million VND. For a group of 12 people (three families), that would cost 55 million VND in plane tickets alone. So, I decided to drive to nearby places first, and then look for cheaper tickets to Nha Trang in October. But unexpectedly, many people thought the same way, so all the nearby tourist spots were fully booked," sighed Ms. Thanh Thuy.

The story of Ms. Thanh Thuy's family also coincides with the trend of domestic tourism this summer, as noted by travel companies.

Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Tourism Joint Stock Company, said that domestic tours account for over 40% of the total, with routes to coastal areas not too far from major cities. For example, from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet (Binh Thuan), Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), Phu Quy (Binh Thuan), Ninh Thuan, Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh)...; from Hanoi to Sam Son (Thanh Hoa), Cat Ba (Hai Phong), Ha Long (Quang Ninh)... Following these are "traditional" tourist destinations such as Da Nang, Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Ha Giang, and the Central Highlands…

Due to the impact of input costs such as high airfares and reduced tourist spending, the number of visitors from northern provinces decreased compared to expectations. In particular, long-distance routes requiring air travel, such as to Phu Quoc and Nha Trang, saw a 50% decrease. Furthermore, the trend of northern tourists using trains as their primary means of transportation to Hue, Da Nang, and Quang Binh increased by nearly 30% compared to the same period last year. Shorter routes such as Sa Pa, Moc Chau, Ha Long, and Thanh Hoa experienced very high booking rates, resulting in service shortages. Many tour groups chose to depart on weekdays to avoid peak seasons and to benefit from lower service prices compared to weekends.

"This year, the number of families booking private domestic travel services such as hotels and transportation has increased significantly due to technological advancements. In addition, the demand for train travel has increased considerably in the summer of 2024, especially from young travelers and families. Destinations such as Ninh Chu (Ninh Thuan), Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, Da Nang… and from Hanoi to Quang Binh, Sa Pa… have all recorded a significant increase in tour bookings, up 40% compared to last year," Mr. Pham Anh Vu informed.

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour Travel Joint Stock Company, also assessed that since the beginning of 2024, the number of tourists traveling by car has tended to increase slightly, possibly partly due to the impact of airfare prices. Destinations near Ho Chi Minh City such as Phan Thiet, Vung Tau, Da Lat, Nha Trang... have seen many family cars parked in front of restaurants and hotels. However, transportation conditions and destinations remain very important, especially for travelers with time or health limitations such as office workers, families with children, and the elderly…

These customer segments still prioritize air travel for their main journeys during tours. Therefore, the ratio between tourists traveling by car and by plane hasn't changed significantly compared to 2023. "It's possible that customer demand is more diverse in terms of both destinations and modes of transportation, no longer concentrated in just a few tourist hubs or everyone choosing to travel by plane, giving the impression that the summer travel season is cooling down. However, in reality, the demand for summer travel remains very high," observed Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu.

There's no such thing as "unsold" airline tickets.

Previously, statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority showed that the number of tickets booked on domestic flights during the peak summer period (June 15 - July 15) was at a low average level. The average booking rate on routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to other localities only reached about 50% on weekends; for further days, this rate was very low, at 20-40%. On routes from other localities to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the booking rate also showed no significant difference, averaging over 60% on days leading up to the departure date and 20-40% on days further away.

Summer travel has entered its peak season.

AV

Low booking rates have led many to believe that airfares are too high, resulting in low demand. However, a representative from Vietnam Airlines affirmed that ticket sales during the peak summer season are very good, and there is no shortage of bookings. Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority are from more than 10 days ago, while customers typically book domestic flights close to the departure date, 4-5 days in advance. This means that while there may be many seats available 7-10 days in advance, flights are often fully booked or have very few seats left within a few days. Overall, Vietnam Airlines' domestic flights during the peak summer season have high occupancy rates, maintaining an average of 83-84% across the entire network. On weekends, this rate reaches 90%. Some of the most popular routes, such as Da Nang - Da Lat, achieved an occupancy rate of 97% for flights between June 1st and June 24th. The attendance rate for the Ho Chi Minh City - Da Lat route is 92%, the same as the Ho Chi Minh City - Thanh Hoa route; this rate also fluctuates between 80-90% for the Ho Chi Minh City - Cam Ranh, Hanoi - Da Lat, Hanoi - Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City - Hue routes.

"Currently, airlines have deployed all available capacity. Vietnam Airlines is also preparing to receive additional aircraft to enhance passenger service. Basically, the number of aircraft operated by airlines is still insufficient to meet peak summer demand," a representative from Vietnam Airlines stated.

Bamboo Airways also recorded an occupancy rate of around 90% on all domestic routes. On the evening of June 25th, the airline officially welcomed its Airbus A320 aircraft, registration number RP-C9799, to its fleet to increase capacity during the peak summer season. This is the third wet-lease aircraft the airline has received since the beginning of the year in an effort to increase supply for the domestic aviation market. With the addition of the new aircraft, Bamboo Airways plans to focus its increased capacity on high-demand tourist routes such as those connecting with Nha Trang, Da Nang, and Quy Nhon…

Roughly speaking, the Vietnamese aviation market is currently short of 50-70 aircraft. With one aircraft operating 6 flights, this translates to a shortfall of 300 flights per day. Multiplying this by an average of 150 seats per aircraft, the supply this year has decreased by approximately 45,000 seats compared to last year. However, other modes of transport such as trains, roads, and ships are also effectively sharing the burden with air travel. Therefore, it is difficult to definitively say whether airline tickets are in high or low demand.

Bamboo Airways representative

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/du-lich-he-bat-dau-tang-nhiet-185240627223310928.htm