Travel firms get fat profit from national squad triumph

13:39' 19/07/2007 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge – The number of travelers booking tours to Thailand to attend the quarter-finals match between the national squad and the Iraqi team has been increasing. Vietnamese fans celebrating the victory of the national squad Ignoring the worries about the political uncertainty in Thailand, Vietnamese people have been rushing to book tours to Thailand at travel firms. They want to be present at the stadium in Bangkok to encourage the footballers, who have for the first time entered the quarter-finals of Asian Cup instead of staying and home and watching the match on TV. In fact, travel firms all have prepared diversified tourism products for several months, planning to launch the products soon after Vietnam gets the admission to the next round of the Asian Cup. Saigontourist, Viettravel and Fiditour are all have launched attractive tour programmes to attract clients. Saigontourist said that more than 200 clients have booked tours to Thailand to watch the football match. Besides, it also serves the clients who come to Thailand on holiday and now book additional tickets to Bangkok to attend the match. Viettravel and Fiditour are now also very busy serving the travellers - fans of Vietnamese football. The Vietnamese fans will arrive in Bangkok on the afternoon of July 21, and then go directly to San Rajamangala stadium to watch the football match of Vietnam vs Iraq at 6.20 pm. They will return to Vietnam on the same day. The fee for the quick tour is offered at $350/traveler. Meanwhile, the fee will be $400/traveler for the combined tour of watching match and sightseeing, from July 20-22. Many Vietnamese people, especially the youth, do not book tours at travel firms, but will organise tours to Thailand themselves. They can go to Thailand by bus, car and on train (HCM City – Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Bangkok route). Travelers can take a bus to Phnom Penh, go through the Poipet/Aranyaprathet border gate, and then take a train to Bangkok. Of course, with the self-designed tours, the fee will be much lower, just ½ of the fee of package tour offered by travel firms. Ng.Sa, Viet Nam Net