Vietnamese Travelers Flock to Ski and 'Cloud Hunt' for the New Year's Holiday

With the three-day New Year's holiday stretching out, Vietnam's travel scene witnessed a significant surge in short domestic getaways to the Northern Highlands, primarily for the enchanting experience of "cloud hunting." Meanwhile, the high-end traveler segment didn't shy away from splurging on international skiing adventures to ring in the New Year.
This year's New Year's Day holiday falls right next to the weekend, giving people a continuous 3-day break from December 30, 2023, to January 1, 2024. With such a short holiday, most travelers tend to opt for short domestic and regional tours.
Vietnamese Travelers Favor 'Cloud Hunting' Destinations
According to a survey by Tien Phong at travel agencies and tour operators, this year hasn't seen many significant changes or breakthroughs, with short domestic tours still predominantly popular. Destinations like Lao Cai, Ha Giang, and Phu Quoc continue to dominate the domestic tourism market.
Among these, Northern mountainous destinations like Ta Xua, Moc Chau (Son La), Lung Cu Flagpole (Ha Giang), Cat Cat Village, and Fansipan Peak (Lao Cai) are particularly popular, drawing visitors to 'hunt' for clouds amidst landscapes often described as fairylands.

Ta Xua and Sapa are among the most popular 'cloud hunting' spots for the New Year's Day holiday 2024.
Ms. N.T.T.H, a representative of Hoa Mai Tourist on Hang Non Street (Hanoi), stated that since the New Year's Day holiday isn't very long, travelers tend to choose domestic trips more often.
"Currently, we've sold about 90% of our planned tours. Notably, bookings for domestic tours to destinations like Ha Giang and Ta Xua have surged, doubling compared to last year, with prices starting from just 3 million VND per person. We are adding more bus routes and pick-up points to meet customer demand," Ms. N.T.T.H added.

A romantic starry sky scene in Ta Xua (Son La province).
Similarly, Ms. P.T.K.O, owner of Yen Binh homestay in Sapa, reported that many families booked rooms as early as late November, mostly from Hanoi. The number of bookings for this year's New Year's Day holiday has increased sharply by 30% compared to previous years.
"Usually, our rooms only fill up closer to the date, but this year, with many guests eager to see clouds and snow, we were fully booked about two weeks before the holiday," Ms. P.T.K.O shared.
Travel companies have noted a significant increase in bookings for short tours to the Northwest region this New Year's Day holiday compared to the same period last year, with young people making up the majority of travelers.
A representative from an agency on Hang Bo Street, Hanoi, shared that one reason for the popularity of short domestic tours is that tour prices for Christmas and New Year's Day this year are not higher than in previous years. This is partly due to a significant drop in gasoline prices recently, and travel businesses also want to leverage their brand image to kickstart a new tourism season.
Speaking with Tien Phong, Ms. N.M.H (residing in Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi) shared that for this year's New Year's Day holiday, she chose a 3-day, 2-night tour to Ta Xua (Son La province) with some friends, costing nearly 5 million VND.
"Seeing the photos posted on social media with scenes full of warm sunshine and blue clouds, my friends and I decided to 'hunt for clouds' in Ta Xua. I chose a tour package instead of independent travel because tours are designed for a reasonable duration, offer flexible itineraries suitable for short holidays, and clearly provide convenient destinations and services," Ms. N.M.H added.

The trend of having breakfast and coffee with a 'million-dollar view' is attracting adventurous young people.
A travel agency in Hanoi reported that coastal cities like Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang, and Phan Thiet are also popular with tourists during this holiday, especially hotels and resorts located right by the beach.
According to statistics, room occupancy in Da Nang is projected to be 40-60% (with coastal hotels seeing higher rates), and in Hoi An, it's 85-90%. In Nha Trang, international 5-star hotels have reached 90% occupancy, while Vietnamese 5-star hotels are around 30%. Additionally, Phan Thiet's room occupancy is at 45-60%.
In the 5-star hotel segment in Phu Quoc, average room occupancy is over 80%, and the high number of visitors means 3-4 star hotels are almost fully booked. However, Vietnamese guests only account for 20% of total bookings in Phu Quoc during this period.
Skiing Tours Attract Travelers
In the higher-end segment, travelers tend to choose tours to Japan, South Korea, and Europe for skiing experiences. Notably, participants in these tours often start their holidays before Christmas and extend them through New Year's Day to allow ample time for exploration.
A business based in Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, reported positive signals for their total customer numbers during the New Year's Day holiday. Notably, outbound tourism has surged, increasing eightfold compared to last year and reaching three-quarters of pre-pandemic levels (2019). Most customers opted for mid-to-high-end tours to Japan, South Korea, and Europe, with costs ranging from 60 million VND to over 100 million VND per person for approximately 10 days.

Many Vietnamese travelers booked winter skiing tours even before the Christmas season.
For instance, this winter, Ms. H.H. chose Gangwon-do province (a 2-hour drive from Seoul) as her destination to admire and experience skiing in South Korea. After trying the sport, she found skiing to be very exciting and a test of her patience.
"I couldn't ski on my first attempt because my boots were too tight, and I was sore all over, thinking I'd never try again. But eventually, I went back, kept learning, and finally achieved my goal. Once you can ski, you'll love the challenge of conquering more, feeling a sense of self-accomplishment. If you learn to ski, you'll become addicted and want to go back many more times," Ms. H.H. shared.

Skiing requires patience from travelers.
Furthermore, according to Hoa Mai Tourist's statistics, the demand for outbound travel for New Year's Day, while not groundbreaking, consistently shows an upward trend. This year, some customer groups also chose European destinations to celebrate Christmas and New Year's, taking advantage of major seasonal sales in the West.
Meanwhile, other travel agencies noted that customers opting for international tours still lean towards budget-friendly itineraries that suit their spending habits, such as a 4-5 day Bangkok - Chiang Mai (Thailand) tour for 9 million VND; a 4-day Singapore tour for 12 million VND; or a 5-day Malaysia tour for 15 million VND. Additionally, with prices starting at 8 million VND per person and easy entry procedures, many tours to Thailand, Taiwan (China), Malaysia, Cambodia, and other destinations are increasingly attracting traveler interest.
Regarding prices, travel companies believe that this year's New Year's holiday tour prices have only seen a slight adjustment compared to normal, increasing by 5-15% depending on the itinerary.
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Update day : 01/01/2024
Source : Tiền Phong Affiliate links
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