Tour operators begin package tour promotion
By Dao Loan - The Saigon Times Daily
HCMC – Travel firms in HCMC will receive cut-price air tickets from Vietnam Airlines in preparation for a package tour promotion, under which tours to attractions in Central and North Vietnam will cost 30-50% less than normal until December 31 this year.
Pham Duc Hoa, deputy manager of Saigontourist Travel Service’s Domestic Travel Department, said the company had launched discounted tours linking HCMC with Nha Trang, Hanoi and Danang.
“We have guests for the first group. We expect to receive more tourists early next month,” Hoa said on Thursday.
The company will also launch tours from HCMC to Dalat and between Hanoi and Dalat soon. Excluding September, Saigontourist’s air tickets are booked from April to December with eight trips per month.
Before Saigontourist, the Young Generation Travel Company launched four tours to Vietnam’s North.
Fiditourist also plans to launch six tours to Central and North Vietnam, with similar discounts to Saigontourist.
Nguyen Ngoc An, manager of Fiditourist’s Domestic Travel Department, said that the company would launch the tours next Monday. He added they would begin selling tickets in early April.
“They will be the first tours. We will serve the demand of local tourists. In last year’s promotion program we had 20 tours,” he said.
He added that cooperation between tour operators and Vietnam Airlines would be more productive than last year’s Impressive Vietnam program.
He said this was because the airline had announced the incentive program earlier and would run the promotion for an entire year, instead of just three months like in 2009.
“Our members expect to sell packaged tours to 20,000 people this year compared to the 14,000 sold in 2009. We expect to exceed this figure too,” An said.
Hoa from Saigontourist said competitive prices would attract tourists. However, flight schedules may be a concern. Departure times will be mainly at night, which may prevent tourists from booking.
The group will send 400 letters to hotels, restaurants, transportation companies, and other travel service providers in 15 cities and provinces to request 20 to 40% lower prices for the group’s members. The incentive will be available for both air and overland travel.