As soon as Nguyen Gia Trung Hieu, representing Flamingo Redtours at the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2023, put the flyers of the travel packages on the table, the interest of local visitors in the travel packages started to grow.

Hieu said that about 80 people visited the booth and got information about tours within one hour on the festival's first day. The travel demand is increasing as the summer season approaches.

This year, the demand for traveling to destinations such as Phu Quoc Island and the Northwest Region is high," he said. Although the prices of flights to some domestic destinations are skyrocketing, those who book a tour through our company will be able to enjoy a preferential price," he told The Hanoi Times.

Hieu is introducing tours to local visitors at the booth. Photos: Do Huong/ The Hanoi Times

During the festival, Flamingo Redtours JSC will introduce thousands of domestic and international tours with prices ranging from VND2.2 million (US$93.9) to VND5 million (US$213.4) per person.

"We will also offer gifts like cases, parasols, caps and shirts to attract more customers," said Nguyen Cong Hoan, Director of Flamingo Redtours.

This year's tourism promotion festival will feature 150 booths set up by tourism companies and airlines. Participating businesses will offer 1,000   new tourism products with various forms of promotions, as well as 15-30% discounts and gifts.

To stimulate travel demand, another tour operator, Vietravel, is also offering a promotional program "Brilliant Summer, Maximum Sale Price" for inbound and outbound tours from April to May 2023, with discounts of up to 20% and high-quality services meeting four-star standards, according to Vietravel Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Le Huong.

Vietravel's booth before the opening ceremony of the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2023 in March 24.

Chu Thi Hong Tham, a 30-year-old bank employee in Hai Ba Trung District, is looking for information about the company's tours, hoping to find a package like the one she found before.

Tham said: "I knew about the Hanoi Tourism Festival last year and successfully booked a trip to Can Tho [the largest city in the Mekong Delta region] with a reasonable price and good quality of services."

"This time I'm looking for both inbound and outbound tours. I am interested in the price of the tour to Phu Quoc or Thailand, but the airfare from Hanoi to Phu Quoc is quite high, so I hope I can find a preferential price through promotional programs such as this festival," she told The Hanoi Times.

"Meanwhile, a visit to Thailand, although an outbound trip, is more affordable," she added.

Another visitor who loves to travel around the country, Nguyen Hoang, a 68-year-old resident of Hai Ba Trung District, also inquired about tour prices.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Hoang and his wife used to travel once or twice a month for two or three nights.

"It will be my first trip after a three-year break from Covid-19," he said. "We are also considering traveling abroad. In the past, we have traveled to Thailand and South Korea."

Hieu of Flamigo Redtours said popular destinations such as Thailand for the Songkran festival, known as a water festival in April, or Japan for the cherry blossom season, or China because of the Chinese government's open-door policy, received more attention from tourists in Hanoi.

Local visitors pay attention to the price and discounts of tours.

In order to meet the outbound demand of tourists like Nguyen Hoang and his wife, ANZ Travel Vietnam JSC participating in the festival has introduced tour packages with a 30% discount and vouchers.

As a major tourism company in Hanoi, Hanoitourist Corporation will introduce many stimulus products on the upcoming holidays of Reunification Day (April 30) and Labor Day (May 1), especially for tourists buying tours at the on-site festival with special discounts.

Besides, Director of the Hanoitourist travel agency Le Hong Thai said that the company will introduce 20 new tours, exploring Hanoi heritage destinations such as Kim Ngan Temple and Heritage House 87 Ma May Street in Hoan Kiem District.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion (HPA) Nguyen Thi Mai Anh said that this year's Hanoi Tourism Festival 2023 has many new programs to promote and introduce many of the capital's cultural heritage sites to international visitors.

In particular, domestic and international visitors attending the event will have more opportunities to explore cultural heritage sites such as the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Hanoi Old Quarter and sub-districts of Ba Vi, My Duc, Soc Son and Son Tay and other attractive places.

Visitors will also participate in various activities at booths showcasing typical products from handicrafts and old villages in the capital, including bamboo rattan from Chuong Conical Hat Village, lacquer from Ha Thai Village, and embroidery from Quat Dong Village at the Octagonal House. They can also enjoy Hanoi food at stalls around Le Thach Street.

The event attracts a large number of visitors.

The festival is part of a series of promotional activities connecting travel between the capital and other localities, including Thanh Hoa, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Danang, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, and Bac Giang.

Some 100 businesses from 12 districts and towns of the city attend the festival to introduce new destinations to more customers and strengthen linkages with other companies.

With such activities, Hanoi authorities expect to enhance links between localities in promoting tourism, with a focus on Hanoi, which is seen as the central role to connect localities and attract tourists to the capital.

The Hanoi Tourism Festival 2023 promotes the cultural values of heritage sites.