A tourism stimulus programme implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam has slashed the prices of tours in Vietnam, providing tourists with a wide range of holiday choices at reasonable costs.

Initial statistics released by tour operators have shown that the number of tours booked this summer soared up to 25 percent compared with the same period last year.

According to Nguyen Cong Hoan, deputy director of a tour company in Hanoi, some package tours were discounted by as much as 30 percent for the same service, even during peak months.

Popular prices for domestic tours ranged from 1 million dong (US$48) to 3.5 million dong (US$167) per person. Costs also fell for tours to Japan, China and other Asian countries.

According to the HCM City Tourism Association, the reduction in prices was the result of air carriers and tour operators working with authorities in popular tourist locations.

They cited the example of state-owned Vietnam Airlines, which has cut airline tickets by up to 60 percent for routes to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc until the end of the year. This is one initiative that has helped reduce the costs of domestic tours.

Vu The Binh, deputy president of the Vietnam Association of Tourism, declared that the stimulus programme, which is predominantly focusing on Vietnamese tourists, was extremely important to boost the sector during the current economic downturn, especially as the number of international visitors to the country has decreased 1.4 percent compared to last year.

Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Administration of Tourism Nguyen Manh Cuong said that the programme aimed to support the industry to overcome obstacles while developing the quality of services offered.

The programme has been implemented throughout the country, with a particular focus on key tourism localities such as Hanoi, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Can Tho and HCM City.