Vietnamese tourists traveling to the US - Photo: QT
Travel businesses face difficulties in organizing tours to the US
Many travel agencies also have difficulty maintaining their appeal and building suitable products for this market.
On June 26, speaking with Tuoi Tre Online , an employee of a company specializing in American tourism (District 7, Ho Chi Minh City) shared that this company is strong in American tours, especially to the US. In the context of the Iran-Israel conflict heating up, the company's US tour group had to postpone its itinerary and everything changed compared to the original plan.
This employee said: "The company has a set of airline tickets for a group of guests flying Emirates (United Arab Emirates, UAE) to transit in Dubai and then to the US.
Currently, Emirates' flight from Dubai to the US has been announced to be suspended, so the company has switched to Taiwanese airline EVA Air. Reconciling the schedule, additional costs and discussing with customers for objective reasons, the company is very busy.
But once the contract is signed, the company has the responsibility to complete the tour, especially in the context of political tension in some countries. The company must ensure that customers have an enjoyable and safe trip.
Meanwhile, giving an overview of international tour routes at present compared to the same period in 2024, especially the European and American markets, Mr. Tu Quy Thanh, director of Lien Bang Tourism Company, said that most routes and tours of businesses have decreased.
"Our company has reduced 20-30%. Normally, Vietnamese customers choose to go on tours to the West Coast such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, etc., the East Coast such as New York City or the federal government. Currently, tours to the US for Vietnamese customers are in the summer, the peak season, but there are few and far between," said Mr. Thanh.
Why is the attraction decreasing?
Explaining some of the main reasons, Mr. Thanh said that due to the trade war, military conflicts, and high security risks, the demand for the "American dream" of Vietnamese people has decreased.
"What is special is that in the context of tension in some countries, if you sell a competitive tour price of an average of 70-80 million VND/person for an 8-day, 7-night trip, flying on a low-cost airline, it means transiting in the Middle East. But due to political instability in this region, airlines have reduced flight frequency, some even stopped flying. Businesses have to choose other airlines to fly in circles, eroding all costs instead of profits.
The high price of about 120 million VND/person is for transit in Asian markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Korea... But the high price is also difficult to compete in the context of a sharp drop in demand for US tours," Mr. Thanh analyzed.
According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the number of Vietnamese tourists departing the country in 2024 will reach 5.3 million, an increase of nearly 6% compared to 2023. In addition to traditional routes, Europe and America are also attractive destinations for Vietnamese tourists. Tours to Switzerland - Italy - France - Germany - Netherlands or the East Coast and West Coast of the United States are also popular with Vietnamese tourists, and travel agencies have closed many contracts from US tours.
Meanwhile, according to new data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the US is expected to lose $12.5 billion in tourism revenue by 2025.
Tourist spending is estimated to fall below $169 billion by the end of the year, down about 7% from last year and down as much as 22% from its peak in 2019, when tourism was at its peak in the United States.
Domino effect from conflict, international connecting flights decline
On June 26, speaking with Tuoi Tre Online , a representative of a Vietnamese airline said that although it has not yet operated direct flights to the Middle East, the consequences of conflict hotspots such as Israel, Iran or Ukraine are clearly affecting the flow of international transit passengers.
The airline recorded a sharp decrease in the rate of connecting passengers through transit hubs such as Doha and Dubai, with some routes reaching only 50% compared to the normal level of 80-85%.
The situation at Hamad Airport (Doha) also shows instability with electronic boards full of announcements of cancellations or delays. For example, on May 24, flight QR976 from Doha to Hanoi, which was once chosen by many passengers, "disappeared from the announcement board", leaving passengers in a state of waiting without knowing the departure time.
Some passengers said they had to find hot water to eat instant noodles they brought with them and drink free bottles of water from ground staff while waiting indefinitely.
Not only are connecting passengers affected, international airlines are under huge cost pressure as they have to fly around closed airspace. This means thousands of dollars in fuel wasted every hour, not to mention flight crew salaries, airspace fees and indirect costs from delays and cancellations.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giac-mo-di-my-dang-giam-suc-hut-voi-khach-du-lich-viet-2025062614084981.htm
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