On the morning of 31/12, Van Tung decided to travel to Ha Giang with his family, changing his original plan to rent a homestay near Hanoi. However, after a morning of searching, he gave up because most vendors reported no rooms available in Dong Van for 1/1 and 2/1. Inquiring about accommodation in Lo Lo Chai, he was even more "shocked" when a homestay informed him they were fully booked until the lunar new year.

"I knew Ha Giang attracted many tourists, but I didn't think it could be fully booked to this extent," Tung said.

For international tourists, Ha Giang is currently in its peak holiday season. This group primarily stays at 4-5 star hotels, which have been nearly fully booked for weeks, starting two weeks before the new year holiday. Meanwhile, domestic tourists are increasing their weekend trips, focusing on 3-star hotels, homestays, and smaller accommodations in Ha Giang's center.

A survey conducted at midday on the same day revealed that most popular homestays in Dong Van and Meo Vac were fully booked for 1/1 and 2/1. The few remaining rooms were in hotels and guesthouses that did not meet the criteria of tourists looking for "check-in" spots and local experiences.

Room rates also increased significantly, with some nearly doubling. A standard hotel room, usually priced at about 450,000 dong on online travel agencies, was resold by agents at a "last-minute" price of 850,000 dong and sold out quickly.

A representative from Silk River Hotel Ha Giang in Ha Giang 1 ward stated that all 30 rooms were sold out for the new year holiday. For the lunar new year, about 80% of rooms are already booked, primarily by group and domestic tourists.

Small hotels and homestays offering many dorm rooms for independent travelers also reported high booking rates. A representative from In Homestay & Cafe Ha Giang said the facility was fully booked for the new year holiday and only a few rooms remained for lunar new year bookings.

In Du Gia commune (formerly Yen Minh district), many well-known accommodations such as Pachidua Ecolodge and Cheers Ecolodge were fully booked for both the new year and lunar new year holidays, with occupancy reaching nearly 90% after the first day of the new year.

Nguyen Van Khuy, owner of Du Gia Panorama, said his accommodation, comprising 8 bungalows and one stilt house with a capacity for about 40 guests, was fully booked a month ago. He noted that many guests have been calling to book rooms all week, but there is no availability.

In Lung Cu commune, home to the famous Lo Lo Chai village, Chairman Tran Duc Chung reported that all 106 guesthouses and homestays in the area, offering over 1,000 rooms, were fully booked since November, with most remaining unavailable until the lunar new year. The commune police, in coordination with the Border Post and the Military Command, have developed a plan to ensure security and order, inspect food hygiene and safety, and control prices to protect the rights of tourists.

Tham Ma Pass road was severely congested on 14/11. Photo: Dao Huong

Tham Ma Pass road was severely congested on 14/11. Photo: Dao Huong

Beyond accommodation, other services like tour guides, photography, and transportation to Ha Giang are also currently overwhelmed.

Tour guide Ngoc Thai stated that his work schedule for the new year holiday, from 31/12 to 5/1, is fully booked. He also accepted two additional groups, each with about 40 guests, at the last minute after confirming a four-day holiday schedule. For the Binh Ngo lunar new year tour, about 80% of guests have already confirmed their bookings.

Currently, finding last-minute transportation from Hanoi to Ha Giang is equally difficult. A representative from Bang Phan bus operator, specializing in the Hanoi - Ha Giang route, said that the number of new year holiday passengers this year is 20% higher compared to the same period last year. During the peak hours on the evening of 31/12 and 1/1, the bus operator served an average of about 500 people daily. Having utilized its entire available workforce with a total of 35 24-seat cabin vehicles, the company cannot accommodate additional passengers, despite the four-day holiday attracting a large number of service requests.

Bui Thanh Tu, Marketing Director of Best Price, mentioned that since mid-December, they have declined about 60 requests for Ha Giang tours due to a lack of services. According to Tu, last-minute bookings are mainly from Vietnamese tourists, while international visitors confirmed their services much earlier. "The extremely high demand from both international and domestic tourists, coupled with limited room availability, caused Ha Giang's services to sell out early," Tu said.

In 2025, Tuyen Quang tourism continues to record positive growth signals, estimated to welcome about 3.9 million tourists, far exceeding the target of 3.5 million guests, including 525,000 international visitors.

Ha Giang, in particular, has become a top destination for domestic tourists and has made its mark with international visitors thanks to a series of awards in 2025. In December, the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark received the "World's Leading Cultural Destination 2025" award from the World Travel Awards organization. Previously, Lo Lo Chai was also honored as the "World's Best Tourism Village" by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) in October.