Vietnamese tourists prioritize seeing Japanese cherry blossoms despite expensive tour prices

According to many travel agencies, Japan is still the number one destination for Vietnamese tourists during this year's cherry blossom season. In 2024, many cherry blossom tours in Japan quickly sold out, making it impossible for customers with late requests to register. Learning from experience, many customers have proactively booked tours before Tet, according to Ms. Luu Thi Thu, Deputy Director of Hoang Viet Travel.

Normally, the blooming schedule in Japan is predicted in advance, making it easier for visitors to plan. Vietnam Tourism also recorded many customers booking tours based on promotional information from travel agencies, but demand increased sharply right after the official blooming schedule was announced.

Compared to 2024, Japan tour prices will increase by about 10-15%, mainly due to increased operating costs, especially the scarcity of tourist vehicles. MayTrip, a travel agency specializing in Japan tours, said that bus rental prices in Japan are expected to increase by 40-50% compared to last year, similarly, hotel room prices are also higher due to the increasing number of international visitors to Japan, causing a shortage of rooms during peak season.

Osaka Expo 2025, which starts in April and lasts until October, is also one of the factors that has caused service prices to escalate, overloading the "golden route" of Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka for Vietnamese tourists. Viet Travel Company recorded that the price of this tour has increased to 31-38 million VND per person depending on the time, compared to 28-33 million VND last year.

Despite the price increase, Japan remains a top destination for cherry blossom season. Deputy General Director Pham Anh Vu said demand for cherry blossom tours in Japan remains "very high" but not much different from last year. MayTrip also forecasts a slight increase of 10% in the number of visitors compared to the same period last year.

Travel agencies also predict that cherry blossom season tours to Japan will have fierce competition due to the large supply while customers are cautious about spending. To attract customers, companies are constantly updating their programs, including adding cultural experiences such as wearing kimono, watching geisha shows, and sleeping in Kyoto; and implementing early booking incentives to stimulate demand right from the beginning of the season.

In addition, cherry blossom viewing tours can also be supplemented with new attractions. For example, the "golden fairy route" Tokyo - Mount Fuji - Yamanashi - Shirakawago Ancient Village - Kyoto - Osaka of Viet Travel has the same price but adds the ancient village, the hometown of Doraemon.

Vietluxtour also updated its cherry blossom viewing spots by adding Ueno Park, famous for its Hanami festival, to the itinerary. The company's tour guides are also trained to take professional photos and videos with their phones, helping customers capture memorable moments. Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour, said that travel companies need to know how to "catch trends" to meet customers' needs for travel that is closely linked to social networks.

Flamingo Redtours expands its products, taking visitors to Kyushu, where cherry blossoms bloom earliest in Japan, with the Fukuoka - Beppu - Dazaifu Tenmangu - Nagasaki tour or combining special experiences such as the Seoul marathon tour.

"The market is gradually shifting towards more unique itineraries instead of just focusing on traditional routes," said a representative of Flamingo Redtours.

While Japan remains a popular choice, some customers are turning to South Korea and Taiwan because the tour prices are up to 50% cheaper. A representative of Vietluxtour said that customers buying cherry blossom tours have begun to diversify into many new routes, instead of focusing on Japan like about four years ago. The number of customers booking the company's Japan cherry blossom tour accounts for about 35% of the total number of customers going on flower tours this year, while routes to South Korea and Taiwan tend to increase slightly.

In addition, according to MayTrip, visitors who have come to Japan to see flowers often do not tend to return or will choose to return at other times such as autumn and winter in Hokkaido and Tohoku.

In addition to Japan tours, companies also suggest that tourists should experience cherry blossom viewing in Taiwan with the 5-day Kaohsiung - Taichung - Yilan - Taipei tour. The highlight of this trip is Yangmingshan Park - home to more than 1,000 species of cherry blossoms and the experience of bathing in onsen in Yilan. Another option is the Chiayi - Alishan - Taichung - Nantou tour, where tourists can admire cherry blossoms on high mountains.

In Korea, destinations such as Jeju Island, Yeouido Stream, and Gyeongbokgung Palace continue to be popular choices. The 5-day Seoul - Nami - Seoul Marathon tour also attracts a large number of tourists, especially runners who want to experience the route running among cherry blossoms.

This shift shows that tourists are increasingly choosing from a wide range of destinations, rather than focusing on just one. While Japan remains a key market, travel companies are constantly having to innovate to meet customer trends and tastes.