Spike in Indonesia tour prices as Vietnam enters Asiad semis

Vietnam’s first ever semifinal game in the Asian Games will be played against defending champions South Korea on Wednesday, August 29, at the Pakansari Stadium in Cibinong, Indonesia.

The match will begin at 4 p.m. local time.

The unexpected progress made by the national team in football crazy Vietnam has seen demand for Indonesia tours soar, accompanied by a rise in prices.

A representative of HanoiRedtours said airline and entrance ticket prices have gone up, forcing the tour operator to increase its tour prices from Monday night, right after Vietnam beat Syria by a goal in the 108th minute.

HanoiRedtours said that the price for a one-day tour to Indonesia to watch Vietnam’s semifinal match went up $43 to $683 per person, while those for the final match on September 1 have to pay $812, up $86 against the earlier listed price.

“We are offering tours to Indonesia for football fans costing VND15.9 million for those departing from Hanoi and VND12.9 million from Ho Chi Minh City,” a Viettravel representative said.

Such prices are common at most local tour companies, he added.

Nguyen Tien Dat, deputy director of Transviet Tourism Company, said it has reserved around 150 seats for Vietnamese supporters to Indonesia to cheer Vietnamese men’s football team for the semifinal match.

For the final match, customers only need to pay VND2 million in advance. In the event of the Vietnamese not making it to the final, customers will be refunded, Dat said.

In response to higher demand, airlines have also increased the number of flights to Indonesia.

On Monday night, Vietnam Airlines announced it would add three direct flights to Jakarta from Hanoi, Saigon and Da Nang to serve Vietnamese football fans.