THE RISING transportation cost in Vietnam is a bigger concern for the ICS Travel Group compared to the increase in Vietnam Airlines’ (VNA) domestic airfares.
The DMC’s chief sales officer Sabine Widmaan said she doubted the increase on domestic airfares would have an impact on foreign tourists to Vietnam, as the country has always been considered as pricey.
“But the biggest challenge will be the increase of transportation rates. A higher transportation rate makes everything so much more expensive, from packages to sightseeing and transfers.”
However, some Vietnam-based tour operators, including Phoenix Voyages and Exotissimo Travel, have expressed concern over VNA’s plan to increase airfares on all its domestic flights by about 20 per cent, and have informed their clients to buy tickets in advance to avoid the rate hike.
The flag carrier was said to bring the hike into effect on March 15 and then May 2, but it has yet to issue a formal notice, according to the tour operators. The airline has not yet responded to an email inquiry by TTG Asia e-Daily on whether it has already increased airfares on domestic flights.
– Read more in TTG Asia, May 13
By Sirima Eamtako
