Hà Nội is among top destinations in Việt Nam for both domestic and international tourists. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — As Việt Nam enters its golden summer travel season, domestic tourism is ramping up with an array of new experiences and enticing promotions.

Alongside the excitement, however, experts are urging travellers to remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated online scams targeting holidaymakers.

While travel goals and preferences have evolved, Việt Nam’s summer holiday hotspots remain familiar.

According to Booking.com, which analysed domestic search data from June 1 to July 31, 2025, up to 61 per cent of Vietnamese families are choosing beach destinations, followed by 59 per cent seeking nature experiences, and 45 per cent opting for city explorations.

Top domestic destinations include Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang, Đà Lạt, Phú Quốc and Vũng Tàu. For outbound travel, Singapore, Tokyo and Bangkok continue to be the most searched international cities, marking their second consecutive year on the list.

Tour companies respond with targeted offers

Major travel agencies are rolling out flexible and proactive strategies to meet seasonal demand. Vietravel, one of Việt Nam’s largest tour operators, launched its 'Green Experience – Vibrant Summer' campaign, offering big discounts for families and groups of three or more. The packages include complimentary entrance fees to nature-based attractions and activities promoting environmental education.

“One of the defining trends of Summer 2025 is the surge in group travellers—multi-generational families, close friends or coworkers with shared interests,” said Phạm Văn Bảy Deputy Director of Vietravel’s Hà Nội branch. “Group travel not only helps reduce costs, but also strengthens personal bonds.”

Vietravel is offering up to VNĐ1.5 million (about US$60) off per person for group bookings of three or more during the promotional period. In June, families can also receive VNĐ800,000 ($32) off per child along with a special gift.

A particularly meaningful initiative this summer is Vietravel’s 'Journey of Gratitude – Back to the Ancient Citadel of Quảng Trị', a free tour exclusively for war veterans in the northern region. Scheduled for late July to commemorate Việt Nam's War Invalids and Martyrs Day, the programme includes visits to historic sites, memorial ceremonies, veteran meetups and psychological wellness activities.

Tourists kayak through natural landscapes at Phú Điền Tourist Area in Tân Phú District, Đồng Nai Province. VNA/VNS Photo

Targeting high-end family travellers, Flamingo Redtours has introduced the 'Elite Lifestyle' package, catering to seasoned, discerning guests with strong spending power.

Meanwhile, the travel sector is embracing digital transformation, incorporating smart maps, QR-based tour guides, virtual assistants and AI-personalised itineraries—designed to give tourists more autonomy and a seamless, emotionally rich travel experience.

Provinces and cities are also working to refresh their tourism offerings. Hà Nội has introduced night food and art tours; Hà Nam opened a Sun World water park with evening hours; Hải Phòng launched the 'Green Island Symphony' art show and high-end Hoa Phượng Đỏ cruise service; Quảng Ninh is hosting the 'Ocean Dance' night performance; Sa Pa continues its Rose Festival; Huế celebrates its Summer Festival, and Đà Nẵng returns with the International Fireworks Festival.

Scam warnings

A report by the Mastercard Economics Institute reveals that the reported fraud rates increased by more than 18 per cent at popular summer destinations during warm periods and more than 28 per cent during the cold season at winter destinations. The report noted that travelers to Cancun (Mexico), Hà Nội (Việt Nam), Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Bangkok (Thailand) reported higher levels of travel-related fraud compared to cities such as San Francisco, Dublin, Seoul, Budapest, and Edinburgh, which reported the lowest rates of travel-related fraud.

According to the report, scams typically involved tour companies and travel agents, with travellers paying for trips that were later altered or cancelled without warning. Other common traps included rental car fraud, overpriced or rigged taxi services, fake airline or train tickets, hotel booking scams and being ripped off at souvenir shops.

Online fraud schemes have become increasingly complex and widespread. A marketing executive from a leading global resort brand operating six properties in Việt Nam revealed that the company had dealt with around 170 fake fanpages impersonating their brand.

Alarmingly, these fraudulent pages continue to emerge even after takedowns. Some are so sophisticated that they even bear verified checkmarks, making them nearly indistinguishable from the official pages and easily deceiving unsuspecting users.

According to the Việt Nam Cybersecurity Association, online scams caused an estimated VNĐ18.9 trillion (approximately $760 million) in losses across Việt Nam in 2024 alone. A significant portion of this involved scammers creating fake travel brand fanpages, impersonating hotels, airlines and tour operators, often pushing heavily discounted tours, airfares, or hotel packages to lure victims.

The scams typically operate via Facebook, Zalo and sometimes TikTok, where fraudsters ask customers to transfer deposits, then disappear—often by blocking communication or deleting the page. Others use phishing links to steal personal data and OTP codes, enabling unauthorised bank withdrawals.

These schemes exploit users’ desire for cheap deals, lack of travel experience and overconfidence. Scammers are increasingly adept at mimicking legitimate marketing tactics.

Experts recommend several ways to differentiate real from fake fanpages, even those with verification checkmarks.

Authentic pages have an accurate brand name, a long post history, polished content and contact information matching the official website. Fake pages are often newly created, contain poor grammar, and lack detailed contact info. They may also have recently changed names or repurposed from unrelated pages.

Search via official websites, not by typing the page name on Facebook. Fake fanpages often pay for ads to appear at the top of search results.

Scammers may run Google Ads to place fake websites at the top of search rankings, increasing the likelihood of users clicking into scam pages.

Travellers are encouraged to stay alert, verify every detail and report suspicious activity to help protect themselves and others during the peak travel season. — VNS