Lunar New Year's Day: Vietnamese tourists eagerly embark on spring excursions, while international visitors look forward to celebrating the Vietnamese New Year.

On New Year's Day, the atmosphere at airports, train stations, and on tourist buses is lively and joyful, filled with travelers preparing for their spring holiday.

Ngày mùng 1 Tết: khách Việt nô nức khởi hành du xuân, khách quốc tế háo hức ăn Tết Việt - Ảnh 1. — Tourists excitedly set off on their spring trips on the first day of Tet - Photo: QN

In the joyful atmosphere of welcoming the new year 2025, hundreds of tourist groups in Ho Chi Minh City set off to celebrate Tet on January 29th, which is the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Snake.

At Vietravel 's headquarters in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, dozens of tourists gathered early in the morning to embark on their first tours of the new year. Lucky tourists received lucky red envelopes and enjoyed a performance by a lion dance troupe.

High-priced tours are in high demand.

According to a representative from Vietravel, this year the company welcomed and served nearly 150,000 domestic and international tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday. As of the morning of the first day of Tet, the occupancy rate had reached 96%. In addition to the head office, the company's branches nationwide also organized departure ceremonies for special travelers.

"A notable trend in customer choices for Tet holiday tours this year is a willingness to spend more on high-end tours, relaxing at luxurious resorts, or participating in uniquely designed, exclusive itineraries."

"Furthermore, Tet is also a time for family reunions, so tours for large groups, bringing together multiple generations of family, are very popular. Many customers seek tours that are linked to unique cultural experiences such as spring excursions to temples and pagodas or participating in traditional festivals at the destination," said Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Director of Marketing at Vietravel, assessing the trend.

Also on the first day of the Lunar New Year, Saigontourist Travel welcomed the cruise ship Celebrity Solstice with 3,000 tourists from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and other countries to "inaugurate" the arrival of tourists to explore Da Nang, Hoi An, and Hue.

According to the itinerary, international cruise ship passengers will continue their tour of Ho Chi Minh City, Tien Giang, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau before departing Vietnam on the evening of the third day of Tet (Lunar New Year).

Besides the number of international tourists arriving in Vietnam by sea, during the 2025 Tet holiday, the company will continue to welcome 24 international river cruises, including the Toum Tiou, Indochine, and Lan Diep ships from Cambodia, which will pass through the Song Tien border gate and enter Vietnam, traveling to Tan Chau - Chau Doc - Sa Dec - Vinh Long - Cai Be - My Tho - Ho Chi Minh City.

The cruise takes visitors to explore the Lady of the Land Temple, Tay An Pagoda, Chau Phong Cham Village, Kien An Cung Pagoda, Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House, Sa Dec Market, Binh Hoa Phuoc Island, Thoi Son Island, Cu Chi Tunnels, and a Saigon city tour, including the Cholon area - District 5.

Khách Việt nô nức khởi hành du xuân ngày mùng Một, ngày quốc tế háo hức đón Tết Việt - Ảnh 2. — A group of German tourists were the first to visit Nguyen Hue flower street on the first day of Tet - Photo: TTD

Ms. Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Deputy General Director of Saigontourist Travel, said that from the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month to the 1st day of Tet (Lunar New Year), the nationwide system served a total of over 20,000 customers. The main departure points for Tet 2025 tours were concentrated in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, and Can Tho. In Ho Chi Minh City alone, the company served 200 groups with a total of 7,000 Vietnamese customers on domestic and international tours.

With a 9-day holiday period, the 2025 Lunar New Year is an ideal opportunity for tourists to enjoy spring trips. Travel companies are launching a series of attractive promotional programs right from the beginning of the season, offering customers many benefits and choices to suit their needs and actual financial situations.

Many new tours are available for visitors to Ho Chi Minh City.

Besides organizing tours for Vietnamese tourists during the spring holiday, Ho Chi Minh City also welcomed a large number of international visitors during this special period.

Wang Yin and her husband (from China) said they had already bought traditional Vietnamese ao dai dresses to take photos with the flowers during Tet. "Chinese people also celebrate Lunar New Year, but the warm, sunny weather in Ho Chi Minh City is completely different from our homeland. My children really enjoy the atmosphere here; it's both familiar and unique," Yin shared.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, to meet the diverse needs of domestic and international tourists, preparations for serving tourists have been underway since the last months of 2024, with many travel and accommodation businesses introducing new tourism products and services suitable for various types of tourists.

This includes introducing tours focusing on culture, history, spirituality, art, and cuisine, aiming to connect Metro Line 1 with cultural, historical, entertainment, shopping destinations, and iconic landmarks of the city such as Ben Thanh Market, Bui Vien Walking Street, the City Theatre, and Notre Dame Cathedral…

This creates opportunities for tourists to explore Ho Chi Minh City with exciting and diverse experiences, from new and unique attractions and entertainment venues alongside traditional products.

New tourism products launched in time for the 2025 Tet holiday include: the Ton Duc Thang Museum, which is not only a place to commemorate and pay tribute to President Ton Duc Thang but also an interesting destination for those who want to learn about the life and career of this talented leader, as well as important periods in the revolutionary history of the nation.

In addition, the newly launched "Land of Steel" experiential stage also promises to become an attractive tourism product, attracting a large number of tourists and locals, contributing to increasing the appeal of the city's historical and cultural tourism segment.

With its impressive scale, VinWonders Grand Park promises to be an ideal destination for families, friends, and visitors of all ages.

In-city tourism products catering to both domestic and international tourists offer dozens of diverse options for sightseeing, culture, and history, such as: the Moon Festival tour in Cu Chi; and community-based tourism in Thieng Lieng, which is continuously improving its service quality and providing satisfaction to visitors...