Hue set for Hung Kings holiday rush

This year, the commemoration of the Hung Kings, the nation's mythical founders, falls on Sunday (April 10), allowing Vietnamese to enjoy three days off lasting from April 9-11.

VnExpress Marathon Hue, a major sport event that attracts nearly 6,000 runners, will be held in Hue on April 10 while a series of tourism events as part of the town's signature Hue Festival take place from early April.

Currently, a return ticket from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi to Hue costs from VND5-7 million ($219-306) per person, three times the normal price.

Tickets on these routes between April 8-11 are nearly fully booked.

On the Bamboo Airways website, tickets from HCMC or Hanoi to Hue on April 8 are sold out while Vietnam Airlines stated there’s no slots for these routes on April 9.

On the Hue-Hanoi route, there are only business class tickets left, costing around VND4.5 million on April 11.

Bui Thanh Tu, marketing director of travel firm BestPrice, which provides flight and hotel booking services, said the company has seen a growing travel demand of tourists flying from HCMC to Hue during the Hung Kings holiday.

The number of air ticket bookings from HCMC to Hue tripled compared to the route from Hanoi during the period between April 6 and 11.

Tickets for train routes from Hanoi and HCMC to Hue during the holiday are also sold out.

Nguyen Van Phuc, deputy director of Thua Thien-Hue Department of Tourism, said the province has recorded positive signs for tourism recovery during the Hung Kings holiday as the hotel booking rate two weeks prior has reached about 60 percent.

On two major booking websites, Booking.com and Agoda, four-five star hotels in Hue have been fully booked while famous resorts like Vedana Lagoon Wellness Resort & Spa, Ancient Hue Garden Houses, Alba Spa Hotel and Century Riverside Hue Hotel reported no rooms for April 9-11.

"There will be tens of thousands of visitors to Hue on the occasion of this year’s Hung Kings holiday as the town boasts cool weather and a series of sports and tourism events," Phuc said.

Hue, the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam’s last ruling royal family, is famous for royal tombs, ancient palaces and pagodas that attract millions of visitors every year.