Travel firms try to attract more domestic travellers by slashing tour fees

Attracting travelers to the south
Five big travel firms in the north like Vietnam tourism in Hanoi, Hanoi tourism, Hanoi Red tours say they have joined forces with the national flag air carrier Vietnam Airlines to slash tour fees. They are going to launch promotion tours with special tour fees for people traveling to Cuu Long River Delta.
The most outstanding characteristics of the tour are not only the low tour fee (expected at VND3.1mil) and the direct flight from Hanoi-Can Tho, but also the opportunities to enjoy a lot of original cultural and natural products, typical of the west of the southern region, including Chau Doc market, Ba Chua Xu Pagoda and Thoai Ngoc Hau Imperial Tomb.
Tourists will have a chance to integrate into the life and learn about the culture of local residents by visiting and purchasing fruit at floating Cai Rang market, cruising on Hau River and bathing in the river, or fishing at Phu Sa tourism complex.
Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, Deputy General Director of Vietnam tourism in Hanoi, said that the company has decided to accept lower profit to stimulate domestic demand.
Until travel firms announced tour fee reductions, not many travelers really wanted to travel to the Cuu Long River Delta due to the difficulties in traveling. Moreover, it was also because the tour fees to the delta had been even higher than the fees of some tours to Thailand or China.
Travel firms affirmed that they will sell tours with lower fees right after they receive the document from Vietnam Airlines that officially confirms the airfare reductions for travelers. The promotion program is expected to last until the end of March 2009.
Meanwhile, in a talk with a Vietnam Net reporter, a staff of the sales development division under Vietnam Airlines in the north said that the air carrier would release the announcement on airfares in two weeks at the latest, adding that the 30% airfare discounts would be applied to the clients of the travel firms.
Luu Minh Chung, Chief Representative of Vietnam Airlines Office in Can Tho, also revealed that on February 3, the air carrier had a meeting with big travel firms in Cuu Long River Delta on attracting tourists in the region to Hanoi.
On the official website of “Impressive Vietnam” tourism promotion program, the Vietnam Administration of Tourism (VNAT) announced a lot of tours which have the fee reductions of 30-50%.
Nguyen Anh Tuan, official of the Travel Department under VNAT, said that on February 7, the agency will have a meeting with travel firms and hotels from HCM City and neighboring provinces to discuss measures to stimulate domestic travel demand. A similar meeting will also occur in the north later.
Tour fees will further decrease
In HCM City, which is considered the most bustling Tet tourism market in Vietnam, the number of travellers has reportedly decreased by 25-30% in the last time. Travelers have not bought tours, though tour fees are 5-10% lower than last year.
Luu Duc Ke, Director of Hanoi tourist, said that the 50% VAT reduction for hotel and tourism services will pave the way for travel firms to slash tour fees further.