In july, three storms – Maysak (landfall 3/7), Ba Vi (11/7), and Noul (night of 24/7) – impacted several destinations popular with Vietnamese tourists in China, including Shanghai, Jiuzhaigou, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen. After the storms weakened, provinces in southern and central China faced risks of flooding.

Among the three storms, Noul was considered the strongest to hit China this year. It led to the cancellation of 900 flights to Hong Kong and 1,800 flights to Shenzhen on 25/7. All railway services in Guangdong province ceased operations on 26/7. China also issued the highest level flash flood alerts in many provinces and cities.

Residents moving during storm Noul in Hong Kong. *Reuters*

A quick survey by VnExpress involving 10 tour operators specializing in mainland China tours revealed that few Vietnamese tourists postponed or canceled their trips due to the storms. Out of nearly 150 groups, only one or two were affected.

Danh Nam Travel and its alliance had about 80 groups departing in july; by 28/7, 100% departed as planned. Vietravel served nearly 600 tourists already in China and nearly 350 preparing to depart from 28/7 to 30/7, all on schedule, according to Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Marketing and Communications Director.

At OTRIP Vietnam, out of 11 groups in july, six departed during the landfalls of Maysak and Noul. One group postponed its flight to avoid the storm, while one canceled due to an airline technical issue. The remaining nine groups departed on schedule.

Thu Quynh, a resident of Hanoi, was among the few unlucky tourists who had to cancel her tour during storm Ba Vi. Her six-day trip to Guangzhou, originally scheduled from 12/7 to 17/7, was delayed by one day, shifting the dates to 13/7-18/7. This extended the duration of her requested leave.

Vietnamese tourists take photos in Hangzhou during storm Ba Vi's landfall (11/7-16/7). *Otrip Vietnam*

"The new schedule meant I had to take a full work week off, which was inconvenient, so I had to cancel the tour," Quynh said. Her tour operator offered two options: switch to another tour at a suitable time or receive a refund. Quynh chose the refund and plans to visit China this autumn to see the fall foliage.

According to tour operator representatives, the decision to depart is based on many factors. If airlines do not cancel flights, local authorities at the destination do not warn against receiving guests, and safety measures are still under control, tours continue as planned. China's large area means tours from Vietnam are not concentrated in one region. Furthermore, the hot july weather is not peak season for Vietnamese tourists to China.

"Even if storms occur in the Guangdong area, other routes such as Qingdao, Lijiang, Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Tibet still operate normally," said Tran Van Dat, a representative of OTRIP Vietnam.

Phuong Anh