September 2nd holiday: A “golden” opportunity for domestic tourism to accelerate

A group of Chinese tourists visit the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Relic Site. (Photo: Tuan Duc/VNA)

This year's September 2nd holiday lasts four days, with the focus on the capital Hanoi , where a parade will take place to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

This is a “golden” opportunity for the tourism industry to accelerate, as Hanoi prepares to welcome a large number of visitors, while many other localities promote the launch of new products, anticipating tourist trends.

Supply meets demand

Hanoi is the center of attention of the whole country, not only because of its important historical significance but also because of the large-scale parade and march during the National Day holiday on September 2.

This activity is expected to attract a large number of people and tourists from all over the country to the capital.

In response to concerns about a shortage of rooms during the upcoming holidays, Ms. Dang Huong Giang, Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, said that Hanoi is capable of meeting the accommodation needs of tourists during the 4-day holiday. The shortage of rooms is only localized in some central areas.

Surveying popular online booking platforms such as Agoda, Traveloka, Booking..., there are still many hotel room options in Hanoi on September 2.

Representatives of some hotels in Hanoi also said that the room booking rate has increased slightly compared to normal days, however, the phenomenon of full rooms is not common.

Ms. Nguyen Kim Ngan, Manager of the 3-star Branda Hotel (Long Bien District, Hanoi) said that up to now, the number of guests booking rooms for the September 2 holiday has increased slightly compared to before.

However, the hotel has not yet run out of rooms thanks to proactively developing a capacity coordination plan early on. To meet the increased demand during the 4-day holiday, the hotel has implemented many measures such as upgrading services, increasing human resources and launching incentive packages suitable for groups and families.

Some small-scale hotels, apartments or beautiful homestays in the Old Quarter or around West Lake and Truc Bach Lake have higher booking rates, partly because of their small scale, partly because they “hoard” rooms, temporarily lock online bookings to sell at high prices seasonally. However, this is just a small phenomenon, not representative of the whole market.

According to statistics from the Hanoi Department of Tourism, the city currently owns a massive and diverse system of accommodation facilities.

Hanoi has 3,761 accommodation establishments with more than 71,200 rooms; of which, there are 85 hotels and apartment complexes ranked from 1 to 5 stars with a total of nearly 12,000 rooms, meeting all customer segments, from high-end to budget.

In addition, 3,676 unrated establishments with nearly 60,000 rooms are also ready to participate in providing accommodation, significantly expanding the supply for tourists.

With a large number of rooms and a variety of types, Hanoi can completely welcome a huge number of guests during this holiday without worrying about a lack of space.

Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang said the city has asked accommodation establishments and tourist destinations to prepare service plans, from personnel, services to ensuring security and environmental sanitation.

In addition, the Airbnb system and community accommodation platforms will also be strongly activated, contributing to expanding the supply of accommodation for guests.

Opportunity to stimulate domestic tourism

It is undeniable that Hanoi is a tourist attraction during the September 2nd holiday this year, but that opens up opportunities for other localities to promote stimulus programs, attracting groups of tourists who want to relax with their families and leave their place of residence.

According to records from a number of hotels and travel companies, many customers have tended to switch to resort tours near Hanoi such as Hoa Binh , Ninh Binh, Tam Dao, Sa Pa, Ha Long..., instead of jostling among the crowds pouring into the capital.

Ms. Nguyen Bich Quyen, Sales Director of KK Sapa Hotel, said that up to now, the number of customers booking services in advance in Sa Pa for the holiday is increasing steadily and is expected to increase even more strongly closer to the holiday.

Furthermore, the September 2nd holiday this year is quite long, so full rooms during peak days is almost certain to happen.

Meanwhile, travel businesses are also continuously launching new products to stimulate market demand.

Paradise Vietnam - a travel company specializing in providing cruise tours in Quang Ninh, plans to launch the Paradise Delight restaurant cruise package, with a 7-hour cruise during the day, taking tourists to visit highlights such as Sung Sot Cave and Ti Top Island, combined with a 100-dish buffet culinary experience. The promotional price is valid until October 15, 2025, at VND 1,395 million/person.

In addition, the company also launched a promotion program for customers choosing the 5-star overnight cruise Paradise Elegance (Ha Long Bay) or Paradise Grand (Lan Ha Bay) with prices starting from 4.2 million VND/person/night. Customers will receive a free night at the Paradise Suites hotel or a free round-trip Limousine service.

A representative of Paradise Vietnam said that this year, tourists tend to book rooms and services earlier than usual, especially at coastal accommodations and high-end cruise services. In particular, the cruise, restaurant and hotel combo program still receives great attention from tourists.

September 2nd is still the end of summer, the weather is relatively cool, little rain, favorable for outdoor activities such as sleeping overnight on the bay, visiting the large and small islands of Ha Long and Lan Ha.

In the context of high airfares, many families tend to choose to travel nearby, combining round-trip Limousine bus from Hanoi to Ha Long and overnight cruise, both saving costs and being proactive with their schedule.

This year, cruise operators forecast that the number of cruise bookings will increase by about 15-20% compared to the same period in 2024.

This year's September 2nd holiday is not only an occasion for people across the country to turn to the capital in national pride, but also an opportunity for the domestic tourism industry to make a breakthrough in the last months of the year.

With thorough preparation and product diversification, both major cities and satellite destinations are ready to serve and retain tourists during this big holiday.

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/20/173569/ky-nghi-le-2-9-co-hoi-vang-cho-nganh-du-lich-noi-dia-but-toc