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| The high-altitude firework displays at the Saigon River tunnel entrance in Ho Chi Minh City - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) |
Hanoi (VNA) - With the five-day National Day holiday approaching, tourists are increasingly opting for short, flexible trips rich in cultural, natural and local-life experiences, prompting destinations and businesses to refresh tourism products, expand transport capacity and tighten safety measures.
Destinations offer new experiences
In Hanoi, visitors have a wide range of experiences to choose from. At the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre is promoting the value of historical documents and artefacts while applying technology to create new experiences for visitors. The Hoa Lo Prison relic site continues to tell historical stories through exhibitions, documents and first-hand accounts, catering to visitors interested in Vietnam’s revolutionary traditions during the National Day holiday from August 29 to September 2.
In Ho Chi Minh City, restaurants and hotels along the Saigon River report occupancy rates of 70-80% as demand for rooms offering views of fireworks rises. The Cu Chi Tunnels historical site will host a series of cultural exchanges featuring gong performances and K’Ho cuisine from Lam Dong province during the five-day holiday.
Central localities are also diversifying their tourism products to cater to the growing demand for nature, culture, and local-life experiences. In Hue, tours of Tam Giang Lagoon allow visitors to cast fishing nets, catch fish, explore mangrove forests, and enjoy local lagoon cuisine.
Da Nang is expanding experience tours to coastal and urban areas, and its western mountainous region, featuring countryside markets, local cuisine, Bai Choi choi folk art and the cultural spaces of minority ethnic groups of Co Tu and Xo Dang. In Hoi An, activities during the holiday include the 2026 Creativity Week and the “Hoi An Memories” show, alongside various cultural programmes.
Da Lat remains attractive for its cool climate and destinations combining natural landscapes with cultural experiences. Sites offering gong performances at weekends draw around 4,000-5,000 visitors a day.
Tran Thi Bao Thu, Director of Marketing and Communications at Vietluxtour, said three- to four-day itineraries themed around waterways, beaches, highlands, culture and history, and green tourism are gaining popularity. The common trend is toward personalised trips combining relaxation, experiences and rejuvenation.
Airlines add flights, fares ease
Transport operators are increasing capacity to meet rising travel demand during the five-day holiday. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, airlines are expected to provide nearly 1 million seats during the holiday, up 10% from the same period last year. Additional flights will mainly serve routes linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Hue and Da Lat.
Demand is already high on some routes. For August 29, bookings have reached 100% on the Hanoi - Chu Lai route, 99% on Ho Chi Minh City - Tuy Hoa and 98% on Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao.
Airfares, however, are showing signs of cooling. Vietjet’s fares on the Hanoi-Phu Quoc route range from 1.9 million VND to 2.6 million VND per one-way ticket, down 20% year-on-year. Those on several other routes are also about 20% lower than the same period last year.
According to Nguyen Van Thanh, General Director of the West Coach Station JSC in Ho Chi Minh City, four to five transport firms had registered fare increases for the holiday, mainly on routes to the Mekong Delta, with fares expected to rise 20-25% from normal days./.
