Airfares cool down, domestic tourism has advantages

Falling airfares are an opportunity for domestic tourist destinations. Photo: Hai Nguyen

Airfares cool down In early June, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam announced that airfares on domestic economy class flights (excluding taxes and fees) being announced by airlines are significantly lower than the maximum price for basic economy class domestic air transport services as prescribed by the Ministry of Transport . Accordingly, ticket prices in the month are only equivalent to 13-80% of the maximum price on flights. Through a survey by Lao Dong, prices on some flights have cooled down. Recorded on June 11, the best round-trip ticket price for the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route flying on weekends (June 21-23) is about 3 million VND/person, 1.5 million VND lower than the beginning of 2024. The cheapest ticket price for the Hanoi - Da Nang route is about 2.2 million VND/person, the Hanoi - Phu Quoc route is about 3.9 million VND/person, the Ho Chi Minh City - Phu Quoc route is about 2.55 million VND... Vietnam Airlines has increased the sale of late-night flights after 9:00 p.m. every day on routes between Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon... to provide more options for passengers in the context of reduced supply due to the impact of engine recall. This summer, Vietjet will provide an additional 1.4 million tickets, increasing domestic supply by nearly 35% to serve tourists on domestic tourist routes. From June 10, the airline has increased night flights on many routes to meet travel demand during the peak summer season. Speaking to Lao Dong, Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel Company, said: "Current airfare prices are about 30% lower than at the beginning of the year and during the April 30 - May 1 holiday, especially flights at night and early morning." Domestic tourism needs to take advantage According to Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, airfare prices have a significant impact on tourists' decisions on choosing a tourist destination. According to the company's business data, the number of domestic flights in June increased 6 times compared to the April 30 - May 1 holiday, especially flights to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. Mr. Tu revealed that airfares usually account for about 50-60% of the total tour price. However, because travel agencies have programs and preparations in advance, ticket prices do not greatly affect domestic tour prices. For example, the Hanoi - Da Nang, Hoi An 4 days 3 nights tour (including all expenses) costs 5,990,000 VND, the Nha Trang - Da Lat 4 days 3 nights tour with good flight times on Vietnam Airlines costs from 8,790,000 VND. Compared to foreign tours in June, domestic tourism has an advantage. Except for road tours, the cheapest flight tour Hanoi - Thailand (5 days 4 nights) also costs from 6,790,000 VND, other countries have much higher prices. However, according to Mr. Tu, high airfares are only part of the reason why coastal tourist destinations such as Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Nha Trang have fallen into a state of lack of visitors in recent times. Sharing the same view, Mr. Pham Van Nho - Business Manager of Elite Tour Travel Company - said that tourism products in many localities have not yet changed to catch up with customers' needs. Most beach destinations offer similar products such as night markets, entertainment areas... without creating a distinct highlight. "In addition, a part of young people today are looking for new tourism products such as green tourism, sustainable tourism, participating in tourism activities combined with Trekking, marathons... Many families also choose to travel closer, travel less to spend time relaxing, leading to many hot spots of beach tourism in the past gradually losing visitors" - Mr. Nho said. Therefore, according to Mr. Pham Van Nho, to seize the opportunity, beach tourism destinations need to change and renew themselves to attract tourists.

Previously, the Ministry of Transport requested relevant units in the industry to strengthen State management and strictly control airfares. In addition, coordinate with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, airlines, localities and travel companies to research and deploy tourism products in packages (combo) to diversify markets, products, service supply chains, and reduce costs to meet the needs of the people and the economy.

Source: https://laodong.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/gia-ve-may-bay-ha-nhiet-du-lich-noi-dia-co-loi-the-1352662.ldo