People pay more and more attention to summer holiday vacation and consider it an opportunity to tighten connectivity among family members, according to travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tourists to Ho Chi Minh City take a city tour on a double-deck bus. (Photo: chinhphu.vn)

A quick survey of travel agencies in the city shows that 85% of the respondents choose to spend their summer vacation with their family, of which more than 30% would like to go in an extended family of three generations.

Nguyen Thanh Luu, Deputy Director General of Saigontourist said that the summer tour is not merely for travelling but also an occasion to connect family members so that they can spend time together, relax and nurture affection for each other.

To meet different demands of family members who join a tour, Saigontourist offers a variety of new schedules including tours to explore mountainous areas in the Central Highlands, Northeastern and northwestern regions, or tours to islands in central region and southern regions. Mountain-and-sea combined tours are also offered.

Market signals show that domestic tours continue to be the first choice of holidaymakers because of simple tour-buying procedures, reasonable prices, promotions and refreshed journeys, and new services.

To enhance experiences to meet diverse customer needs, especially all family members, several tour operators in Ho Chi Minh City include destinations in a tour with historical and cultural stories highlighting the new routes.

It is forecast that in this summer, Vietnam will welcome thousands of travellers from the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, and the Philippines.

International visitors usually prefer tours that take eight to 12 days to travel across Vietnam so that they can learn about Vietnamese history and culture and experience Vietnamese cuisine and daily life as much as possible.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese tourists are increasingly paying attention to outbound tours. The tours are not only for enriching their experiences

but also for improving foreign language skills, and making their young members more confident when communicating with foreigners.

Vietnamese travellers this summer prefer destinations in Asia, summer resort paradises such as Bali, Maldives, or Hawaii, or long trips to the US, Canada, South America, Europe, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Travel agencies offer professional services and include activities. Consumers can enjoy preferential prices when bu ying early or buying in groups.

Besides, a series of products and services have been launched simultaneously at almost inner-city tourist destinations in HCM City.

Residents and visitors to the city can experience double-decker buses that pass by almost all typical tourist attractions.

Popular tours include the tour to Cu Chi tunnel where young people can learn about history.

For those who want to experience the inter-regional tour or the amusement and entertainment areas nearby Ho Chi Minh City, they can go to the Amazing Bay, Son Tien tourism city.

Dinh Thi Ngoc Mai, Deputy General Director of the Suoi Tien Group, said that the water park in Bien Hoa city, neighbouring Dong Nai province is just about 30-40 minutes away from Ho Chi Minh City, attracting tourists during summer.

Ho Chi Minh City is also an ideal place for tourists to enjoy food, even those from other countries.

Particularly, the Southern Fruit Festival at Suoi Tien Tourist Area opened on June 1 and last throughout the summer offering visitors the chance to try local tropical fruits. The festival introduces people to the art of arranging and carving fruits and vegetables into beautiful artwork.