VietNamNet Bridge – Having seen international arrivals posting almost double-digit growth in the year to date, travel firms and the national tourism authority expect to reap sweet fruit this year as October will usher in the peak season for the inbound segment.

International tourists buy items from a street vendor in downtown HCMC. The number of international arrivals is expected at nearly 615,000 in September, a 28.9% year-on-year rise.

The number of bookings from international guests at Saigontourist Travel Service Company for the peak season is fairly good, said Vo Anh Tai, general director of the country’s largest travel firm.

More international cruise ships are coming, with two more vessels from the U.S., Tai said of cruise-ship tourism as one of his company’s strengths.

Nguyen Van Tran, general director of APEX Vietnam Tourist Joint Venture Company, which mainly caters to the Japanese market, said that October’s bookings are equal to the same month of 2012. The total number of vacationers for next month and the upcoming high season is estimated to rise slightly.

This is a good signal amid the current economic situation, Tran said.

However, the enterprise will have to reduce tour prices for Japanese tourists in the next season as these vacationers prefer promotional tours, he said.

Japanese customers earlier enjoyed high-class services. But now, many have chosen three- or four-star hotels instead of five-star standards, Tran added.

Meanwhile, enterprises specializing in the Russian market expect the number of arrivals to increase strongly. National flag-carrier Vietnam Airlines has plans to add more flights on the Moscow-Nha Trang route and launch promotional programs to lure visitors.

Hoang Thi Phong Thu, chairwoman of Anh Duong Tourist Company, said that the enterprise and its partner Pegas Touristik will organize 72 chartered flights each month to bring Russian holiday-makers to Vietnam between October and late April, 2014. Over 100,000 Russian tourists will visit the country with these flights, up 40% year-on-year.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the nation expects nearly 615,000 international arrivals in September, a 28.9% year-on-year surge, taking to 5.49 million the total number of international arrivals in the Jan-Sept period, a 9.9% rise.

International tourists usually flock to Vietnam between October and April during winter in their countries.

The nation is expected to welcome around 7.2 million international visitors this year.

Source: SGT