Many Vietnamese families use overseas Tet travel to explore study options

These Tet trips are increasingly combined with school visits, cultural immersion, and hands-on involvement by parents in selecting future study destinations.

According to travel firms and education experts, this is a fast-growing trend, with a variety of tailored tour formats emerging to meet demand.

Thanh Vu, a cosmetic surgeon based in Ho Chi Minh City, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday that he has two children, one in grade 10 and the other in grade 7, both studying at an international school in the city.

Instead of returning to their hometown to visit grandparents, the family plans to fly to Melbourne, Australia on the 29th day of the 12th lunar month, or February 16.

For Vu, the trip is expected to serve ‘two purposes at once,’ a Tet holiday and a preliminary visit to McKinnon Secondary College, where his grade-10 son is scheduled to begin high school studies in April.

“With the long Tet break this year, I booked a tour so my children could travel, learn about local culture and customs, and visit the school to see its facilities, classrooms and dormitory,” Vu said.

“Even though our partner in Vietnam had already provided detailed information, I still wanted to see it first-hand, combining it with a holiday."

The 2026 Tet holiday in Vietnam for civil servants and public employees is scheduled for nine consecutive days, from Saturday, February 14 (27th of the twelfth lunar month), to Sunday, February 22 (sixth of the first lunar month).

A similar motivation guided the family of Le Anh Thu, a resident of Xuan Hoa Ward in Ho Chi Minh City.

Although she had heard about many reputable universities with strong international education systems, her daughter missed the opportunity to join a summer study program abroad in May 2025.

This Tet, her family would take a nine-day, eight-night tour to the United States as a reconnaissance trip for future overseas study.

Thu’s daughter is currently a first-year university student majoring in communications.

With the goal of developing in an international academic environment, Thu chose a tour that includes Manhattan, the vibrant heart of New York City.

“It will be our family’s first time traveling abroad during Tet,” Thu said.

“The trip will focus on visiting New York University, learning about the culture, experiencing the cost of living, and understanding tuition fees and additional expenses so we can plan realistically for my daughter’s studies."

Combining overseas travel with educational planning during Tet reflects a significant shift in Vietnamese consumer behavior, said Tran Thi Bao Thu, a representative of Vietluxtour.

Travel is not just about relaxation, but also about family bonding during the Lunar New Year holiday and investing in experiences that shape children’s futures.

Such trips help young people broaden their global outlook and gain early exposure to new academic and cultural environments, she said.

Steadily growing trend

In recent years, Vietluxtour and other tour operators have observed a clear rise in demand from middle- and upper-income families for trips that integrate education-oriented experiences, especially during extended holidays such as Tet and summer breaks, Thu noted.

“These are highly customized, private products. The volume is not mass-market, but it has grown steadily each season, particularly among families with long-term educational plans for their children,” she said.

“Where there is demand, supply follows. Many travel companies are now offering outbound tours focused on experiential learning, exploration, and visits to international educational environments.”

However, Thu emphasized that these tours are designed to give parents and students a realistic perspective on culture, daily life, and education systems in developed countries.

Families most interested in such tours typically have children at high schools or preparing for university.

Popular destinations include the UK, Australia, the U.S., Canada and Singapore, as well as China in recent years.

Tu Quy Thanh, director of Lien Bang Travel Trading Company, also noted a rise in family-group bookings, with many clients specifically requesting itineraries that include visits to well-known schools in Australia, the U.S., and other Asian countries.

“We offer full-package services covering itineraries, visas, accommodation, transportation, and tour guides,” Thanh said.

“If parents want deeper admissions information or education counseling, we connect them with licensed, reputable education consulting partners, ensuring transparency and compliance with regulations.”

He added that the greatest value of these tours lies in transforming travel into a ‘real-world classroom,’ helping young people understand the wider world while giving parents more concrete data to support future decisions.

Travel with meaningful purpose for children

Nguyen Thi Uyen Phuong, an education researcher and practitioner in Ho Chi Minh City, views travel that incorporates meaningful activities for children and families as a positive trend.

“There are trips where families go to a resort and everyone sits in a corner with their phone – that’s very uninspiring,” she said.

“Travel that encourages shared activities and integrates education is a great direction. It turns holidays into rare opportunities for genuine family connection.”

Over the past two years, this trend has gained momentum.

Some schools organize these tours themselves, while others are run by travel firms that hire teachers to accompany families, so they can discuss and explore the local culture and educational approaches of the destinations together.