Vietnam's Da Lat tourism sees unprecedented surge ahead of National Day holiday
Da Lat’s tourism industry is seeing a boost as the local airport resumes operations, with many accommodation providers reporting a roughly 40 percent increase in bookings that is expected to extend beyond the holiday period through September.
Dinh Van Tuan, vice chairman of Lam Dong province’s People’s Committee, welcomes tourists at Lien Khuong Airport. Photo: M.V.
For more than 15 years, the September 2 holiday (National Day holiday) has never been considered a peak period for tourism in Da Lat.
This year, however, many accommodation providers report that bookings have risen by about 40 percent, with the increase extending beyond the holiday itself and lasting throughout September.
Tourism industry insiders have jokingly dubbed it the 'airport effect,' following the reopening of Lien Khuong Airport.
Da Lat hotel bookings rise 40 percent
In previous years, Da Lat remained quiet around the September 2 holiday even when the airport was operating normally.
As the summer season ended, tourist numbers typically declined. This year, however, the trend has reversed.
Tourism activity has picked up since Lien Khuong Airport reopened on August 19 after several months of closure for upgrades and expansion.
A representative of Vietnam Airlines' Lam Dong branch said none of the airline's flights have had empty seats since the reopening, with the new Da Lat-Can Tho route seeing particularly strong demand.
On flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the airline has increased frequencies and switched to wide-body aircraft to add more seats.
The representative said September had traditionally been a quiet month for tourism, which also affected air travel.
This year, tourists from across Vietnam are arriving in Da Lat by air, driving demand for other forms of transportation as well.
Tourists arrive in Da Lat through Lien Khuong International Airport. Photo: M.V.
Indy Le, owner of Nha Tre homestay, said bookings from travelers in Hanoi and Da Nang were significantly higher than in September 2025.
"Some returning guests messaged me, saying, 'Now that the airport is open, I'll book my ticket and go right away. I've been waiting for this,'" she said.
Tran Thi Dung, executive director of Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa, said travelers from distant markets had waited through more than five months of the airport's closure to visit Da Lat and were now arriving at the same time.
She attributed the increase partly to the local tourism sector's promotional efforts and businesses' initiatives to stimulate demand.
Redesigning tourism sales for mutual benefit
But the 40 percent increase is not uniform across all market segments.
Nguyen Nhat Vu, deputy general director of Lam Dong Tourism Joint Stock Company (Dalattourist), said the increase is concentrated among higher-end hotels.
"Airfares to Da Lat are currently attractive, cheaper than those to Da Nang or Nha Trang," Vu said, attributing this to agreements between Lam Dong province and airlines.
Dalattourist is offering a 40 percent discount on Lang Biang Mountain attraction tickets for visitors from northern Vietnam through the end of the year.
Da Lat is among the destinations drawing the most interest for the September 2 National Day holiday. Photo: T.A.
Pham Thanh Nga, 36, from Hanoi, booked flights for her family the week the airport reopened.
"We had planned to visit in April 2026, but we would have had to fly to Ho Chi Minh City and then spend several more hours on the road, so we decided not to go," she said.
Dinh Tuan Anh, director of the TTC Hospitality entertainment cluster at Thanh Thanh Cong Lam Dong Tourism Co., said the company expects the peak period to run from August 29 to September 6, rather than being concentrated around one or two holiday dates.
Tuan Anh said this is not the time for the tourism industry to compete through steep discounts.
"Instead of simply selling tickets and hotel rooms, we should sell the full Da Lat experience as an attractively priced package, including entertainment tickets, meals and family offers. We should introduce policies that encourage visitors to stay for three to five days rather than just one or two," he said.
Many Da Lat accommodation providers are already taking this approach, he added.
Despite the rise in bookings during the holiday and throughout September, accommodation providers in Da Lat, particularly small hotels with fewer than 20 rooms, still have vacancies as of August 29.
Hotel representatives said reaching 70 percent occupancy would already be considered a success, given how quiet September has traditionally been for tourism.
Lam Dong leans on events to sustain tourism momentum
In the first eight months of 2026, Lam Dong welcomed more than 16.46 million visitors, up 19 percent from the same period last year, while tourism revenue reached nearly VND45.6 trillion ($1.73 billion), an increase of 22.3 percent.
The province has already achieved nearly 69 percent of its full-year target of 24 million visitors, despite Lien Khuong International Airport being closed for nearly six months for runway and other infrastructure upgrades.
The airport suspended operations on March 4 and reopened on August 19, allowing commercial flights to resume after more than five months of closure.
During summer 2026, Lam Dong hosted a series of major events, including the launch of activities announcing the master plan for the Mui Ne National Tourism Area, which attracted nearly 10,000 people; the Da Lat Music Night Run 2026, with more than 5,500 runners; and the 2026 Sports Festival, which drew nearly 20,000 athletes.
Lam Dong still needs about 7.5 million more visitors to meet its 2026 target. The province expects to attract much of that additional traffic following the 2026 Da Lat Flower Festival.
Van Giang - Mai Vinh / Tuoi Tre News
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