Satisfying tourists on the occasion of the National Day

Tourists to Hue love to explore Tam Giang and experience the activities in the lagoon

Enhancing the service quality

Mr. Le Ngoc Sanh, Secretariat Chief of Thua Thien Hue Department of Tourism expected the tourists to Hue to rise about 15% year on year and the room occupancy rate between August 31 and September 1 to reach 100%.

Vietravel Company - Hue Branch said that the number of tourists booking the company’s tours to Hue and Central Vietnam this year is largely domestic tourists in South Vietnam. Tourists going on the 4 - 5 days’ tours to explore Central Vietnam’s heritage start the tour in Da Nang and end in Quang Binh. In particular, Hue is the key destination on the journey to explore the heritage

According to the leader of the Department of Tourism, on the occasion of the National Day, Hue will organize the "Hue International Marathon 2018", the traditional boat racing festival on the Perfume River, the thanh tra (a local type of pomelo) festival and so on - the activities attracting tourists to Hue. Aside from visiting the heritage sites, the support tours such as "Sunset on Tam Giang Lagoon", "Thuy Bieu in the morning - Tam Giang in the afternoon", exploring and diving to contemplate the coral reefs at Ngoc (Pearl) Island (Lang Co, Phu Loc District) also appeal to tourists.

This year's National Day is also in the month of Vu Lan Ceremony, the season of filial piety, so the companies also design the tours to Hue combined with visiting some famous ancient pagodas and temples of Hue. In the evening, enjoying Hue traditional singing on the Perfume River and dropping flower-shaped lanterns are very enjoyable experiences for tourists to Hue.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism, said that in order to ensure security and safety for tourists, the Department of Tourism sent texts to the accommodation establishments to request the improvement of the fire prevention and extinguishing work, and to the tourist destinations to request the increased inspection and handling of soliciting tourists to buy goods. As for accommodation services, the room rates should be publicly posted. "The quality of service is top priority. Specifically for the "Hue International Marathon 2018", the department sent texts to the accommodation establishments to request their support to the participating athletes by ensuring quality of service, not just by discounting. The tourism sector determines that only when the best services are provided can the brand of Hue tourism be created," underscored Phuc.

Mr. Nguyen Thai Hoa, Chief Inspector of the Department of Tourism, said before, during and after the holiday, the tourism inspectors will coordinate with the inter-branch forces to strengthen inspection at many tourist sites, and conduct the unexpected inspections of accommodation establishments. In case of being solicited to buy goods, or the pushed-up price of accommodation service, tourists can phone the 24-hour hotline to report to Chief Inspector via 0234.3501111 or 0905.165843

Short tours magnetizing tourists

According to the information from the travel companies, the people’s need for travel is increasing at a steady rate; tourists tend to take the initiative to book tours sooner. Therefore, most tour operators organize a considerable number of tours during the “National Day" holiday. With the 3 days off only (September 1 – 3), the short tours to the localities close to Hue are the most chosen.

At Vietravel Company - Hue Branch, the number of tours on September 2 this year is quite diversified. The representatives of the company said that for Hue’s tourists, the two most selected sites are Vinpearl Land in South Hoi An (Quang Nam) and Eo Gio (Binh Dinh). Both tours are short and suitable for the 3-day holiday such as the 2-day and 1-night tour to Vinpearl Land in South Hoi An and the 3-day and 2-night tour to  Eo Gio. Particularly Eo Gio, a new tourist destination, attracts most young people among those who book tours to explore.

Dalat continues to be a destination for many Hue tourists to choose during the National Day holiday. Ha Noi Tourism Joint Stock Company - Hue Branch said that the flight from Hue to Da Lat is exactly on August 31, so it is very convenient for the travel companies to organize the 3-day and 2-night tours. The number of tourists to Dalat grows by about 20% vis-à-vis the 2017 National Day.

The short tours are diversified. At Dai Bang (Eagle) Tourism Joint Stock Company, unlike the previous years, the sleepless overnight one-day tours promoted by the company are chosen by more tourists. Among them, the 3 most- chosen tours are the tour to Ba Na Hills, the tour to visit Bảy Mẫu (Seven-Hectare) Coconut Forest and the tour to explore Cu Lao Cham Island. The company said the one-day tours are continuously organized during the holidays.

Mr. Hoang Duc Nguyen, residing at Thuan Thanh Ward, Hue City, said, "I decide to choose the package tour, not to travel independently because of  the convenience of this type of tour, that is to say the company-arranged tour. This will have less adverse influence on my health and work on my return. I have often traveled to Da Nang and Quang Binh, so I choose Eo Gio, a newer tourist destination with an appropriate tour schedule.

Mr. Tran Dinh Minh Duc, Head of Travel Management, Department of Tourism said Hue people’s demand for travel is increasing over the years. Exploration, photography and so on are a trend young people are following thanks to the appropriate tour schedule and reasonable tour price. The characteristic of this year’s tours is that instead of offering a discount, the travel companies do a special promotion by adding some services to tourists.

 Story and photo: Duc Quang