Nguyen Ngoc Tung, director of Danh Nam Travel Company, said his company, which offers tours to China and Russia, has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
"We suspended operations during the two-year COVID-19 pandemic and then struggled during the first year of the Russia-Ukraine war," Tung said. "Although we've now resumed operations, the global recession continues to present significant challenges. We've had to create shorter tours at lower prices to attract customers."
Tung revealed that his company recently reduced its three-day road tours to China to just two days, lowering the prices from over VND3 million (approximately USD128) to just over VND2 million (approximately USD85) per customer.
"Thanks to the newly opened Tra Linh Border Gate in Vietnam and Longbang Border Gate in China, we have more options for organising road tours," he said. "We’re also partnering with other companies to offer new tours to local destinations at better rates."
Pham Thi Thanh Thuy, CEO of Treviet Tours Company, said she had never seen such a sharp decline in sales for her tours to Europe.
"The economic downturn, coupled with rising airfare prices, has led people to prefer shorter-distance tours," Thuy explained. "Therefore, we've shifted to offering tours to China, South Korea, or Taiwan, which appeal to more people. We've also introduced two-to-four-day road tours to China, with prices ranging from VND2.5 million (approximately USD106) to VND5.9 million (approximately USD251) per customer."
The Vietnam Tour Club (VTC) has recently partnered with a Chinese tourism company to organise a farm trip to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China through the Tra Linh and Longbang border gates, involving over 100 Vietnamese travel companies.
Luong Duy Doanh, director of FiveStar Travel Company and a VTC member, said this tour route offers great potential due to its beautiful natural landscapes and affordable prices.
"For just between VND2 million (approximately USD85) and VND3 million (approximately USD128), Vietnamese visitors can enjoy a three-day-two-night tour to explore a new destination in China," Doanh said.
Ha Thien Tuong, director of the Guangxi Travel Company, noted that around 2,000 Vietnamese tourists have visited China through the Tra Linh and Longbang border gates since their opening in December 2023.
"The border city of Jingxi boasts stunning natural beauty with attractions like the Tongling Grand Canyon, the Gulongshan Canyons, and the Equan Scenic Area," he said. "Vietnamese tourists also enjoy visiting a site where President Ho Chi Minh once stayed and worked during his time in China."
Tuong mentioned that he is collaborating with Vietnamese partners to design more tours between Vietnam and China through the mutual border gates.
"One promising option for tourists from Vietnam could be a three-day-two-night tour, with one night in Cao Bang Province and one night in Jingxi City," he said. "Tourists can explore Ban Gioc Waterfall in Cao Bang before visiting sites in Jingxi. We hope these simple budget tours will attract more customers."
