Starting from 1 April, local and foreign visitors have to pay a higher fee for domestic flights and tours to some of Viet Nam's most-visited attractions, including Ha Long Bay and Ba Na Hills Resort, as the country prepares to enter its peak tourist season.

Na Hills is located about 30km from Da Nang. (Photo by VnExpress)

Tourists now have to pay for a whole tour package instead of paying for entry to individual caves in Ha Long Bay, a world-renowned natural site that has around 1,600 islands and islets that form a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars in the Quang Ninh Province. Around 3.5 million foreigners visited the bay last year.

Several tours in Ha Long Bay and its northeastern neighbor Bai Tu Long now cost about 200,000 VND - 250,000 VND (8.8 USD - 11 USD) per tour. Previously, visitors had to pay a general fee of 120,000 VND (5.3 USD), plus an extra fee ranging from 30,000 VND to 50,000 VND (1.3 USD - 2.2 USD) for entrying into individual caves.

The prices of longer tours (one day, two nights) in Ha Long Bay are now raising to 500,000 VND to 700,000 VND (22 USD - 30.8 USD) per person. Prior to this change, the cost for overnight stays on the bay from one to three nights were 200,000 VND - 350,000 VND - 400,000 VND (8.8 USD - 15.4 USD - 17.6 USD) per person, respectively.

For Bai Tu Long Bay, the fees are at 150,000 VND - 300,000 VND - 350,000 VND (6.6 USD - 13.2 USD - 17.6 USD) per person.

In addition, return tickets for visitors coming through Tuan Chau Port to visit Ha Long and Bai Tu Long will be 40,000 VND (1.75 USD).

Meanwhile, non-local visitors who want to visit Ba Na Hills, a hill station and resort known for its cool weather and gorgeous countryside views of Da Nang, have to pay an extra 50,000 VND for tickets that are now ranging from 550,000 VND to 650,000 VND each (24.2 USD - 28.5 USD).

National carrier Vietnam Airlines has also raised ticket prices. The company said this is a regular adjustment which will be applied until 31 March next year.  Economy class tickets for domestic flights have increased by 40,000 VND - 300,000 VND ( 1.75 USD - 13.2 USD) per trip, and business class by 100,000 VND - 500,000 VND (4.4 USD - 22 USD).

Earlier, private carriers including Vietjet Air and Jetstar Pacific Airlines also increased their fees.

Hotels and airline tickets are expected to be in short supply during the last week of April and the first week of May, with public holidays, including the the Hung Kings' death anniversary, the Reunification Day and the International Labour Day, all stacked in this period.

Viet Nam welcomed more than 3 million foreign visitors in the 1^st quarter of 2017, a 30% increase from the same period last year, official data showed. The country is on track to reaching its target of welcoming 11.5 million international visitors this year, which will contribute over 20 billion USD to the economy.

Tourism is expected to contribute 10% to Viet Nam’s gross domestic product by 2020 when the country expects to receive up to 20 million foreign visitors and earn $35 billion in tourism revenue.

(Source: VNExpress International)