Travel demand to rise 30-40 percent during New Year

Bus Stations across Ho Chi Minh City are gearing for an increase by 30-40 percent of passengers traveling by bus during the New Year holiday week-end at the end of this year.
According to Nguyen Ngoc Thua, director of Mien Dong Bus Station, New Year holidays are being extended until Monday this year as January 1 falls on a weekend. This will allow more time for people to travel to various tourist destinations.
As the situation demands, the station will mobilize or divert buses from routes with fewer passengers to ensure the rush and travel demand is met during New Year, Thua added.
In related news, Air Mekong announced on December 15 that it will increase flights by 25 percent from December 23 to February 5 with a total of 25,000 additional seats. The carrier intends to raise the number of flights on routes such as Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City; Ho Chi Minh City to Quy Nhon, Buon Ma Thuot and Pleiku; Vinh City to Buon Ma Thuot and Pleiku, before and after Tet.
Moreover, there will be additional 1-2 flights a day from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Cities to Da Lat City during the Flower Festival, starting December 25 to January 3.
The carrier said it has begun sale of Tet tickets for flights from December 5. The number of confirmed bookings accounted to 70 percent of the total number of seats, and more than 10,000 seats are still available for many days before and after Tet.