Airfare prices did not increase significantly during the National Day holiday.

As of August 18th, occupancy rates on major routes and tourist flights remained low, with many seats still unoccupied. Photo: NIA

According to the Government Electronic Newspaper, online flight ticket booking systems for the National Day holiday on September 2nd (departing August 31st, returning September 4th) show that airfares have remained largely unchanged, and there are still relatively many empty seats. Individual travelers or small groups can still easily book tickets through these websites.

Airfares haven't increased much.

For example, a round-trip VietJet flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang on August 29th and returning on September 3rd costs approximately 1.6 million VND per person; a round-trip Vietnam Airlines flight costs less than 2 million VND per person… Flights are spread throughout the day, with some flights booked close to the holiday, such as a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc on August 31st, which costs from 903,000 VND to nearly 1.2 million VND per person…

From Hanoi, the average price of a round-trip air ticket to Phu Quoc (including taxes and fees) is 3.4 million VND/ticket; the outbound flight is only half the price of the return flight.

For flights between Hanoi and Da Nang, the round-trip fare is 3.4 million VND, Hanoi to Nha Trang is 3.6 million VND, and Hanoi to Quy Nhon is 4 million VND.

Specifically, airfares for the Hanoi to Tuy Hoa (Phu Yen) route are the most expensive during the September 2nd holiday, reaching up to 6.4 million VND per round-trip ticket. This is because only Vietnam Airlines currently operates this route; Vietjet Air ceased operations a long time ago.

From Ho Chi Minh City, the average round-trip airfare (including taxes and fees) to Da Nang is 3 million VND/ticket, to Nha Trang is 2.6-2.8 million VND, to Phu Quoc is 2.5 million VND, and to Hanoi is 3.35 million VND.

The Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority (Ministry of Transport) assesses that, as of now, airfares for the National Day holiday on September 2nd are stable, not significantly different from the peak summer season. Prices tend to increase on the first day of the holiday for outbound flights and on the last day for return flights. All Vietnamese airlines are selling domestic air tickets according to the regulated price framework.

There are still plenty of seats available on the tour routes.

According to data compiled from airlines, as of August 18th, occupancy rates on major routes and tourist routes remain low, with many seats still vacant.

On the main routes between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, the flight occupancy rate has only reached 30-40%.

For tourist routes, except for the routes from Hanoi to Phu Quoc, Binh Dinh and Con Dao, or the route from Ho Chi Minh City to Binh Dinh, which have booking rates above 40%, other routes are at low levels, ranging from 25% to below 40%.

According to Deputy Director of the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, Dinh Viet Son: This year's September 2nd holiday will not see an increase in transportation demand compared to the same period in 2022. The Civil Aviation Authority will continue to coordinate with airlines, monitor and assess market demand to plan for increased flights, and promptly meet the travel needs of passengers during the September 2nd holiday.

According to aggregated data from airlines, the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority reports that the total number of flights expected to operate during the peak holiday period of September 2nd (from August 31st to September 5th) is over 5,300, with a total of 1.06 million seats offered, an increase of approximately 20% compared to normal levels and a slight decrease (3%) compared to the same period in 2022.

According to Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour Travel, the demand for tours during the upcoming holiday season is not very high because many families have already taken advantage of the summer vacation. Tours during this period are seen as a last-ditch vacation for many families before their children start the new school year. Tourism businesses also do not expect a breakthrough in holiday tour growth because many families have just finished their summer vacation, not to mention the general economic situation also affects tourists' spending. On the other hand, many localities are entering the rainy season, and some provinces in the Central Highlands, East and Northwest regions are prone to landslides, so tourists are quite cautious when choosing these places to visit.

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