This year, the commemoration of the Hung Kings, the nation’s mythical founders, falls on Sunday, April 10, allowing Vietnamese to enjoy three days off from April 9-11.
The VnExpress Marathon Hue, a major sporting event that attracts nearly 6,000 runners, will be held in Hue on April 10, while a series of tourist events as part of the city’s signature Hue Festival will take place in from early April.
Currently, a round-trip ticket from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi to Hue costs between 5 and 7 million VND ($219-306) per person, three times the normal price.
Tickets on these routes between April 8 and April 11 are nearly sold out.
On the Bamboo Airways website, tickets from HCMV or Hanoi to Hue on April 8 are sold out, while Vietnam Airlines said there are no slots for these routes on April 9.
On the Hue-Hanoi route, only business class tickets remain, costing around VND 4.5 million on April 11.
Bui Thanh Tu, marketing manager of travel company BestPrice, which provides flight and hotel booking services, said the company has seen a growing demand from tourists traveling from HCMC to Hue during the Hung Kings holiday.
The number of flight ticket reservations from HCMC to Hue tripled compared to the Hanoi route during the period from April 6 to 11.
Tickets for train journeys from Hanoi and HCMC to Hue during the holidays are also sold out.
Nguyen Van Phuc, deputy director of Thua Thien-Hue’s tourism department, said the province has seen positive signs of tourism resuming during the Hung Kings holiday, with the rate of hotel reservations two weeks prior reaching around 60%.
On two major booking sites, Booking.com and Agoda, four to five star hotels in Hue have been fully booked while famous resorts like Vedana Lagoon Wellness Resort & Spa, Ancient Hue Garden Houses, Alba Spa Hotel and Century Riverside Hue Hotel reported no rooms. April 9-11.
“There will be tens of thousands of visitors to Hue during the Hung Kings holiday this year, as the city enjoys cool weather and a series of sporting and tourist events,” Phuc said.
Hue, seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last ruling royal family in Vietnam, is famous for its royal tombs, ancient palaces and pagodas which attract millions of visitors every year.
