Through these efforts, they continue to offer a diverse array of travel packages while ensuring quality services for tourists.
Travelers opt for nearby tours
Having planned an overseas trip since last year, Ms. Phi Thuy Anh, residing in Ban Co Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, said she is now reconsidering her options and may switch to nearby or domestic tours. Recently, helicopter tour services have been reintroduced with exciting itineraries. She planned to choose a helicopter sightseeing experience over Ho Chi Minh City so that her children could enjoy a meaningful summer that fits the budget.
According to tourism enterprises, demand for tours during the upcoming Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30) and International Workers’ Day (May 1) holidays, as well as the summer vacation period, remains positive. However, preferred destinations have shifted. Travelers are increasingly booking early for tours requiring airline seat reservations while prioritizing itineraries that align with their holiday schedules, offer reasonable costs, and deliver clearly defined experiences.
In the domestic market, popular destinations include Da Lat, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, and Da Nang, as well as northern routes such as Ha Long, Ninh Binh, and Sa Pa, thanks to their stable services and suitability for short stays.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Minh, Sales Director of Hoa Binh Vietnam Tourism Company, travelers are showing a growing preference for partial travel packages (free & easy), which typically include airfare and hotel accommodation, instead of all-inclusive tours. This model can help save between 10 percent and 25 percent compared to package tours; in some cases, proactive early booking of flights and services can result in even greater savings.
For international travel, tourists also tend to favor nearby destinations with reasonable costs and convenient procedures. Mr. Thi Quoc Duy, director of Nguyen Hue Tourism Center under BenThanh Tourist Company, noted that customers increasingly compare prices across multiple products before making their final decisions.
When tour prices exceed their budgets, most travelers tend to switch to more affordable destinations, such as those in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. At present, tour prices to several destinations remain relatively favorable, comparable to levels seen before the Lunar New Year.
Tourism enterprises cut unnecessary costs
Amid mounting pressure from increasing input costs, tourism enterprises have proactively implemented a range of adaptive solutions. In Da Nang, businesses in the sector have developed response plans aimed at maintaining price stability and supporting market equilibrium. Hai Van Cat International Travel Services Company, operating a fleet of around 50 tourist vehicles, is making concerted efforts to keep tour prices stable in order to sustain its market share.
In the accommodation segment, according to Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Phuong, Deputy General Director of Bac My An Tourism Joint Stock Company, the enterprise has conducted comprehensive cost reviews, cut unnecessary expenses, and developed response scenarios for potential cost increases ranging from 20 percent to 50 percent, alongside restructuring its supply chain.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai An, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Tourism, stated that the city is shifting from a reactive approach to proactively designing a development model with built-in adaptability. The focus is on accelerating digital transformation and innovating business models. Da Nang is also working to build a transparent, stable, and reliable tourism environment by tightening price management, standardizing service quality, and raising operational awareness among service providers.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Nguyen Minh Man, Deputy General Director of VinaGroup Travel, said the company continues to maintain stable pricing for helicopter sightseeing tours over the city while striving to stabilize its existing product offerings. Similarly, Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour Joint Stock Company, noted that the company is reviewing tour schedules, recalculating transit times, and advising customers to adjust itineraries or switch airlines when necessary.
In addition, enterprises are accelerating the application of technology in management, optimizing service booking systems, forecasting demand, and controlling costs. Promotional programs, as well as package-based and time-specific tour offerings, are also being implemented to stimulate demand while keeping prices at reasonable levels.
As a major player in the tourism industry, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luu, General Director of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, stated that the company has been able to maintain competitive pricing thanks to a stable customer base, while also strengthening negotiations with partners to manage costs. However, supportive policies on taxes and fees are needed to help ease pressure on both businesses and consumers, he suggested.
From the perspective of state management, Mr. Pham Huy Binh, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said the department is proactively working with travel companies, airlines, hotels, and restaurants to strengthen linkages and roll out large-scale demand stimulation programs.
The focus is on enhancing regional connectivity, developing integrated tourism value chains, increasing the localization rate of services, and promoting green, energy-efficient tourism models to help reduce costs and improve competitiveness. The department will submit a proposal to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee to recommend that the Government consider measures to defer and reduce taxes and fees, thereby supporting both businesses and consumers amid rising input costs, Mr. Binh noted.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, tourism management agencies, in coordination with localities and enterprises, are stepping up promotional activities more innovatively and flexibly, with a focus on expanding markets, strengthening connectivity, and diversifying communication channels. The sector is also reassessing markets affected by recent fluctuations, such as Europe, the Middle East, and neighboring regions, where travel plans to Vietnam may be subject to change.
One of the key solutions is to effectively tap into nearby and traditional markets, particularly within ASEAN. This is considered a practical approach to offset declines from long-haul markets while maintaining overall growth momentum.
The tourism industry is developing new product lines such as adventure tourism, experiential travel, and notably “touch-based” tourism—where visitors engage more deeply with local culture, people, and spiritual values at destinations. Additionally, improving service quality and human resources is identified as a key priority through international cooperation and training efforts involving management agencies, educational institutions, and professional associations. Emerging trends such as green tourism, smart tourism, and emotionally enriching travel experiences are also being prioritized. The sector is set to innovate its approach toward greater synergy, recognizing that this is not solely the responsibility of state management agencies but also requires active participation from local authorities and the business community.
