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After the impact of the increase in domestic airfare ceiling, the trend of independent travel is being "hunted" by tourists during the upcoming holidays.
According to representatives of travel agencies, the April 30 - May 1 holiday this year only lasts two days, so people have two travel trends: "homecoming" travel and suburban travel. Some people choose to return to their hometowns to visit their families during the two days off, while others choose to explore destinations near their places of residence and work, traveling by road.
However, after the recent increase in domestic airfare ceiling prices, not only during the April 30 holiday, the trend of people traveling this summer is gradually shifting to buying self-sufficient combos, including: Airfare + hotel room + promotional services. The biggest advantage of this type is that tourists are proactive in terms of time, entertainment venues, and routes between attractions during their trip.
At SaigonTourist Travel Service Company, Ms. Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Marketing and Communications Director, said that combo products are being exploited more, replacing about 30% of package tours. For the April 30 holiday, travel agencies in general have been preparing since the end of December 2023, so customers who book tours early will not be affected by the increase in airfares. Vietnamese tourists have the habit of booking tours close to the date, so if they book additional services outside the package sold by the travel agency, they will have to pay a higher price.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Lam, Head of Domestic Travel Department, Sao Nam Viet Travel and Event Company, combo travel mainly comes from small families who like private space, or young people who want to freely explore, have fun, and eat. For large groups of 80 - 100 people, traditional package tours are still the preferred choice. Besides, the cost for this type of combo is much cheaper, estimated to be reduced by about 50 - 60% compared to package tours. Customers will invest more in entertainment, recreation, and dining activities. According to Sao Nam Viet, the trend of customers booking combos has increased by about 10 - 20% compared to the same period last year...
Planning and scheduling your own trip is also a trend that many tourists are interested in, especially young people. This type is also known as "free and easy", especially suitable for free, active people who want to explore.
Often not planning in advance, Le Thi Ngoan (Thanh Liem, Ha Nam) also chooses combo travel packages for her "sudden" trips. "My best friend and I often have the habit of going as soon as we both have an intention. Therefore, after choosing a destination, we will go to travel agencies to ask about hotel + bus ticket combo packages. This also helps us reduce search time, as well as has a high level of assurance", Ngoan shared.
However, some travel agencies still believe that in the “race” to attract customers, traditional tours still have a certain position. For example, when traveling abroad, differences in language and culture will be a major obstacle affecting the quality of the trip. Therefore, it is necessary to have a pre-arranged travel and sightseeing schedule and a tour guide to assist.
Mr. To Van Them, Head of Sales at Postum Travel Company, said that travel combos, tours, or even backpacking all have their own advantages and disadvantages, suitable for different audiences and needs. Therefore, customers will not be inclined to choose one type.
“For example, with Postum Travel, tours to Dien Bien until the end of April are “full” and 100% of customers booking are package tours. Because the direct flight to Dien Bien from Hanoi is quite short, it is not much affected by the increase in airfare. Besides, Dien Bien is a historical tourist destination, the means of transportation are quite limited, so customers still need a tour guide to explain, introduce, as well as provide the most suitable itinerary,” Mr. Them informed.
Currently, the April 30 holiday is just a "stepping stone" for a long summer vacation, so tourists often choose short trips, suburban trips or short trips abroad to cut costs.
