Thirty-two-year-old Tran Ngoc Nam shared, "My parents readily agreed because they wanted to see the largest parade and march ever." She has already booked bus tickets for her parents to travel from Ninh Binh to Hanoi. Staying at her sister's house in Hanoi eliminates the need for a hotel; now, they "just need to find a good spot to watch the parade".

Nam mentioned that many of her friends also opted to stay in Vietnam for this special national event rather than traveling abroad. Instead of posting photos of exotic destinations, their social media feeds are filled with check-in pictures from the parade rehearsals in Hanoi.

Instead of travel photos like previous years, Nam's friends are posting pictures from the parade or check-ins related to National Day celebrations. Photo: NVCC

Instead of travel photos like previous years, Nam's friends are posting pictures from the parade or check-ins related to National Day celebrations. Photo: NVCC

Doan Thi Tu Anh, 25, from Ho Chi Minh City, initially planned a 5-day, 4-night trip to Bali, Indonesia for the National Day holiday. However, she changed her mind and flew to Hanoi with 9 friends on 28/8 to catch the final rehearsal on the morning of 30/8.

Following "instructions on TikTok", the 10 tourists from Ho Chi Minh City arrived at Thanh Nien Road at 2 PM on 29/8 to save a spot, but found no one there. People only started arriving around 6 PM. "After we endured a heavy downpour, people finally started showing up." Tu Anh's group braved three rain showers from the night of 29/8 to the early morning of 30/8. Despite the exhaustion, the trip was worthwhile for these southern tourists. "Flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi for the 80th-anniversary celebrations, a little rain is nothing," Tu Anh said enthusiastically.

Unlike last year, domestic tours are more popular this National Day. Pham Anh Vu, Deputy General Director of Viet Tourism Media Company, noted a 15% increase in tour bookings for the holiday compared to last year, with domestic tours taking the lead at 60% of total bookings, thanks to the 80th-anniversary celebrations.

Mr. Vu reported a surge in bookings for northern destinations, especially Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Ha Long, Sa Pa, and Moc Chau. Many tourists planned their trips as early as June, resulting in fully booked hotels in central Hanoi. Nearby destinations also saw a significant increase in visitors, around 50%, with a trend of combining sightseeing with historical commemoration activities.

Destinations like Phu Quoc remained stable, while Nha Trang, Da Nang, and Quang Binh saw a 5-10% increase. The shift from international to domestic travel is partly due to attractive prices, averaging 3-10 million VND per tour, fitting the short 3-4 day holiday.

Tu Anh takes a photo at Thanh Nien Road, where she arrived to "save a spot" at 2 PM on 29/8. Photo: NVCC

Tu Anh takes a photo at Thanh Nien Road, where she arrived to "save a spot" at 2 PM on 29/8. Photo: NVCC

Vu Thi Bich Hue, Head of Communications at Flamingo Redtours, mentioned that since the pandemic, organizing domestic tours for this holiday has been "very difficult" as tourists tend to travel independently. However, this year, domestic tours, especially those focused on historical sites, were fully booked early on.

One of the best-selling domestic tours is a visit to the Tan Trao Historical Site in Tuyen Quang. According to Ms. Hue, the tour's popularity stems from its focus on revolutionary history, short duration (2 days, 1 night), and affordable price of under 2 million VND.

Not only are domestic tours favored, but many Vietnamese tourists are also opting for international tours with early departure dates to return in time for the parade. Ms. Hue said that many people inquired about tours returning before September 2nd two to three months ago. As a result, the company added tours departing early, from August 27th to 28th, and these tours are fully booked.

Several travel agencies reported a decrease in international travel bookings, averaging 10-20%, with some seeing a drop of up to 70%. Long-haul tours requiring visas, such as those to South Korea and Japan, have seen fewer bookings than last year. Only tours to nearby destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore have increased in popularity and are often fully booked.

Le Minh Quan, CEO of Group Tours, cited several reasons for the decline in international travel this National Day: the economic downturn, changes in visa policies, and a decrease in group bookings from state agencies. Above all, numerous major domestic events organized around the special 80th National Day celebrations are encouraging people to stay within the country.

"I watched the entire 50th and 80th-anniversary celebrations. In 10 years, I'll be watching the 60th and 90th," said Tu Anh, the tourist from Ho Chi Minh City.

Phuong Anh