Ngoc Trai
File photo of a family under cherry blossoms in full bloom in Tokyo - Photo: Reuters
These tours normally last four to seven days and take place in late March and early April, during which cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Tourists will be taken to major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya.
Tour operators have reported a pickup in bookings for cherry blossom tours this year, which is partly credited to the loosened visa policy for Vietnamese tourists.
A communications executive at TST Tourist told the Daily that the firm has got bookings from 20 groups of 20 to 35, up around 40% from a year ago. New bookings are still coming in, he added.
Doan Thi Thanh Tra, marketing manager of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, said numbers of tourist groups and tourists buying Japan tours have quadrupled, with each group having over 30 people.
At Vietravel, Nguyen Minh Man, a communications executive said, bookings for cherry blossom tours of Japan were opened three months ago and the tours are now full. This year, 2,500 tourists have bought Japan tours at Vietravel, up 25%.
Meanwhile, TransViet will arrange Japan tours for 18 groups totaling over 400 tourists this year, double the same period last year.
Pham Thien Vu, director of ITE Service, said demand for cherry blossom tours has soared sharply this year, especially between March 20 and April 15. As a result, their prices have inched up.
“Arranging Japan tours in the peak season is not easy because of higher service fees in Japan. The current room rate at two-star hotels may amount to US$350-400 per room,” Vu said.
Tourists can also buy tours to South Korea to view cherry blossoms at lower prices, between VND17 million and VND30 million per person.
In addition to cherry blossoms, travel firms like Saigontourist, Fiditour, Vietravel and TST Tourist also have tours in which tourists have the opportunity to view wisteria and nemophila flowers in April and May at a minimum price of VND34 million.
To attract more tourists from Vietnam, Japan decided last July to offer multiple-entry visa for Vietnamese.
Đăng ký: VietNam News