Visitors at Pham Van Dong beach in Da Nang city

Travel firms have reported an increasing number of tour bookings for the three-day holiday weekend, which starts September 1.

Doan Thi Thanh Tra, marketing and communication director of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, said the number of bookings for overseas and domestic tours for the  holiday so far have been 21,000, up 10 per cent year-on-year.

White-sand beaches in the central city of Da Nang and Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang and well-known tourist destinations in Da Lat and the northern provinces have attracted most holidaymakers, Tra said.

Overseas tours to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are popular choices for the holiday, she said.

A representative of Vietravel’s marketing and communication department said that one- to three-day tours were mostly chosen for the upcoming holiday.

Travellers in the south have chosen destinations such as Vung Tau, Phan Thiet, My Tho, and Ben Tre for road tours and beach trips by air to Con Dao Island, Phu Quoc Island, Nha Trang, Phu Yen, and Quy Nhon.

Vietravel expects to serve more than 17,200 customers on this holiday, up 15 per cent compared to last year, with outbound travellers accounting for 60 per cent.

Nguyen Minh Man, head of TST Tourist’s marketing and communication department, said demand for tours with a customised itinerary for a group of friends or families has risen strongly in recent years.

Group tours are chosen by young couples, a family with three to 15 members who love to explore nature beauty, cultural heritage sites and historic relics, Man said.