Tours to Hanoi still “hot”

The number of tourists buying tickets to Hanoi during the city’s millennium birthday is rising sharply. Many agencies of Vietnam Airline (VNA) and Jetstar Pacific Airlines (JPA) said that flights departing from HCM City to Hanoi from October 3rdwere full, even business tickets on some flights of VNA were sold out. Travel agents can not book more rooms and airfares for tourists registering tours to the North. Mrs. Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Head of the Marketing Office of Saigontourist said that recently, a large number of tourists continuously asked to reserve rooms and airfares but the company declined because hotels with three stars and more in Hanoi were fully booked. Other hotels still have rooms but prices were higher than usual. Representative from Vietravel said that many tourists registered tours just few hours before the celebration of the millennium birthday, but the company can not satisfy the need due to lack of airfares and rooms. A survey of travel agents showed that tour registration just before the anniversary increased sharply. However, due to limitation in rooms and airfares VNA and JPA can offer, the sudden demand of tourists can not be met. For tours to the North, due to lack of rooms, tourists can stay 1-2 nights in Hanoi to take part in events during the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi.