Visitors to the Hue ancient citadel. (Photo: VNA)

A new domestic tour launched by major travel companies explores the culture of the H’Mong people in the northwest, with a focus on sampling local cuisine and participating in the famous love market.

According to Nguyen Cong Hoan, Deputy Director of Hanoi Redtours, his company is expecting more than 800 customers to book their tour to the northwestern region to spend National Day with the H’Mong people.

Similarly, Viettravel has developed a tour for customers to attend the largest love market for the H’Mong people, to be held on the night of September 1. The company is expecting 15,000 tourists on this occasion, a 10 percent year-on-year increase.

Saigontourist, one of the most prestigious travel agencies in Vietnam, is offering a variety of trips and tours, such as exploring the roads in the northwest set against the stunning backdrop of the yellow terraced rice fields, or taking part in the H’Mong pan pipe festival in Dong Van, Ha Giang.

Tours to the coast and islands are still attractive for holidaymakers during the last days of summer, with the most popular destinations being Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet, amongst others.

Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong (China) are highly popular international destinations, not only because of the fascinating recreational activities on offer, but also their attractive shopping opportunities, with discounts of up to 70 percent.

According to Viettravel, shopaholics are flocking to Malaysia, which is considered the fourth best shopping destination in the world and the second best in the Asian-Pacific region.

Meanwhile, tours to other Asian countries, such as the Republic of Korea and Japan, have started to gain popularity with Vietnamese holidaymakers.

As a result of this increased interest in Japan, the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA) has founded a Japan Travel Club in the South of Vietnam, which aims to provide the highest standard of services for those planning a trip to Japan. There are now three clubs of this kind in Vietnam.

According to tourism experts, 85,000 Vietnamese visited Japan in 2013, marking an increase of 55 percent compared to 2012. In the first half of 2014 alone, numbers increased by 50 percent, a trend which is predicted to continue in years to come.

Concurrently, the number of Japanese tourists to Vietnam has rapidly grown in recent years, hitting a record of more than 600,000 visitors last year.

Vietnam envisions receiving 1 million Japanese visitors annually by 2017, and sending 200,000 Vietnamese tourists a year to Japan in the same timeframe.

In July, Vietnam launched a national campaign - “Exciting Vietnam: Vietnam – A safe, friendly and attractive destination” aiming to boost tourism development.

In 2013, Vietnam’s tourism sector welcomed 7.57 million international visitors and provided services for 32.5 million domestic holiday-makers.