HCMC, Vietnam Airlines team up to stimulate travel demand

The Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association (HTA) has cooperated with the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines to launch a discount programme with the aim of stimulating domestic travel demand in 2013.
Hoang Thi Khanh, HTA Vice Chairwoman, said the initiative will discount both flights and tours, contributing to price stabilisation in the national tourism market.
The programme helps address the illogical fact that foreign travel tour prices are often cheaper than domestic travel.
A similar discount programme has run since May 2012, drawing the participation of many local travel operators and achieving many good results. Vietnam Airlines held sales reducing select ticket prices by 45 to 52 percent. Travel agencies also slashed tour prices by 40 to 45 percent.
By the end of 2012, the programme serviced 15,810 visitors on tours from HCM City to southern and Central Highland destinations like Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Da Lat, and Buon Me Thuot. Many tours also ventured to the northern and central regions.