Travel companies brace for busy Lunar New Year as tours fill early

Travel companies brace for busy Lunar New Year as tours fill early

Travel companies said the Lunar New Year season this year is marked by earlier bookings, growing demand for personalised itineraries, and a preference for new travel experiences.

Tourists visit the Út Thuận fish farm in An Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photos

Việt Nam’s tourism market is heading into its Lunar New Year peak earlier than usual, with travel companies reporting strong demand and many holiday tours nearly fully booked almost two months before the festival, industry executives said.

The Lunar New Year, which falls in mid-February 2026, is traditionally the busiest travel period of the year in Việt Nam. This year, bookings began earlier than normal, driven by a long public holiday and concerns over rising airfares and limited service availability closer to departure dates.

According to BenThanh Tourist, bookings for Lunar New Year tours are up 15-20 per cent from a year earlier. Demand is particularly strong for northern Việt Nam, Northeast Asia and European destinations, with booking momentum continuing to rise in recent weeks.

Vietnam TravelMART JSC has already sold about 90 per cent of its Lunar New Year tour capacity, helped by the extended holiday period, its general director Nguyễn Như Nam told saigontimes.vn.

BestPrice Travel reported a similar trend, having reached 90 per cent to 95 per cent of its booking target for the holiday season by late December.

The company's marketing director Bùi Thanh Tú told saigontimes.vn that families and small groups were booking earlier to avoid higher airfares and service shortages closer to departure dates.

At Giang Travel, bookings have reached about 80 per cent of planned capacity, and the company expects total tourist numbers during this year’s Lunar New Year to rise about 10 per cent from last year, said general director Nguyễn Giang Sở Hạ.

Tour prices for the holiday period are up between 5 per cent and 20 per cent, depending on routes and itineraries, tourist companies said. Travel firms have worked with partners early to manage costs and are offering flexible "Free and Easy" packages to help customers control spending.

The firms said domestic tourism is expected to remain the backbone of the holiday market, driven by demand for resort destinations and cooler climates.

Popular choices include Phú Quốc, Hội An, Nha Trang, Đà Lạt and Sa Pa, while emerging destinations such as coastal areas of the Central Highlands and central provinces are also attracting interest, they noted.

Tourists visit the Út Thuận fish farm in An Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photos

Outbound travel is also rebounding, led by long-haul destinations, according to travel companies.

Nguyễn Minh Mẫn, deputy general director of Vinagroup Travel JSC, said overseas tours were filling faster than in previous years.

Traditional markets such as Japan, South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan (China), Thailand and Singapore remain popular thanks to convenient flight connections, he said, adding that demand for long-distance Lunar New Year trips to Europe, Australia and the US has also recovered, driven by high-spending travellers planning well in advance.

Overall, Lunar New Year tour bookings are up about 8 per cent, largely driven by early reservations for long-haul trips, Mẫn told the online newspaper.

Travel companies said the Lunar New Year season this year is marked by earlier bookings, growing demand for personalised itineraries and a preference for new travel experiences.

In 2025, tourism emerged as a bright spot in Việt Nam’s socio-economic landscape, posting strong growth in visitor numbers, revenue and global recognition.

Total tourism revenue is projected to exceed VNĐ1 quadrillion (approximately US$38 billion), contributing an estimated 8.8 per cent directly to the country's GDP. 

Bizhub