{"id":4668,"date":"2026-08-12T22:29:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:29:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/?post_type=news&p=4668"},"modified":"2026-08-12T22:29:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:29:04","slug":"national-day-cities","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/national-day-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"The September 2 Holiday: 5 Cities Where Vietnamese Travelers Are Booking Most"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ahead of the long weekend tied to National Day on September 2, the answer to where Vietnamese travelers are booking domestically is in. Travel booking app Traveloka's Southeast Asia trend report, the \"SEA Index,\" released on August 11, revealed the top five cities where domestic bookings concentrated. For residents and travelers moving around Vietnam over the holiday, this ranking doubles as a map of where things get crowded and where the action is right now.<\/p>\n

The five cities where bookings concentrated<\/h2>\n

In order of booking volume, the ranking ran Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Con Dao, and Phu Quoc. The character of these cities couldn't be more varied. The first two are commercial and administrative hubs, Da Nang is the central hub where you can cover both sea and mountains in a day, and the remaining two are island getaways. The five cities show a clear split between travelers heading to the big cities and those escaping to islands over the holiday.<\/p>\n

Ho Chi Minh City's strength is simply a reflection of its scale \u2014 the report found that roughly one-fifth of all domestic travel heads to the city. In Hanoi, cultural sites, museums, and exhibitions and festivals timed to the holiday drive bookings up. The city itself has become the destination.<\/p>\n

Why islands and themed experiences are growing<\/h2>\n

The islands stood out most in the numbers. Phu Quoc's Q2 demand score hit the maximum of 100, with bookings up 86% year on year. The combination of its beaches and a growing number of direct flights is cementing its status as a go-to holiday escape. Da Nang's booking momentum is strong too, with ticket bookings for the hilltop resort Ba Na Hills up 132% year on year. Money and bookings aren't just going toward casual sightseeing \u2014 they're flowing to experiences with a clear purpose.<\/p>\n

Con Dao didn't post flashy numbers, but it ranked fourth as an island where visitors can experience history, nature, and local life all at once. The contrast between the weight of its prison historic sites and its untouched sea is drawing a different crowd than the other four cities. It can also be read as a sign that travelers who want distance from urban bustle are choosing Con Dao's quiet over Phu Quoc's buzz.<\/p>\n

The same report also showed growth in international flights. Bookings from Vietnam to Bangkok rose 61%, and to Tokyo by more than 80%. Some Vietnamese travelers are heading abroad rather than staying domestic over the holiday, and the fact that Tokyo bookings grew the most is worth noting from the Japanese side. While domestic travelers concentrate in the two biggest cities, outbound demand is flowing toward Japan. The sense that holiday airports get crowded in both directions is backed up by these numbers.<\/p>\n

Key numbers from the report<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nFigure<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Phu Quoc Q2 demand score<\/td>\n100 (maximum)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Phu Quoc bookings<\/td>\nUp 86% year on year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Da Nang's Ba Na Hills ticket bookings<\/td>\nUp 132% year on year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
International flights to Bangkok<\/td>\nUp 61%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
International flights to Tokyo<\/td>\nUp more than 80%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Source: Traveloka's \"SEA Index\" (released August 11, 2026). International flight growth reflects booking trends from Vietnam.<\/small><\/p>\n

How Japanese travelers can use this ranking<\/h2>\n

For Japanese travelers visiting Vietnam over the holiday, these five cities can be either places to avoid or places to ride along with. Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi stay packed with domestic Vietnamese travelers throughout the holiday. It's safer to assume airport transfers and waits at popular restaurants will take longer than usual, and locking down restaurant reservations before planning your sightseeing will make things easier.How to explore Hanoi's Old Quarter<\/a>, once you have that down, lets you split your rounds between morning and night even amid the crowds and buy yourself extra time.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, you can turn the crowding to your advantage. As domestic Vietnamese travelers flow toward the two biggest cities and international flights over the holiday, mid-sized regional cities relatively empty out. Places like Can Tho, Hue, and Nha Trang become easier to get around precisely because they're overshadowed by these five cities. Simply going against the crowd changes how dense your experience is, even during the same holiday.<\/p>\n

If you're set on Phu Quoc or Da Nang, though, it's the opposite story \u2014 speed is everything. On islands where demand scores have swung to their maximum, direct flight seats and beachfront rooms fill up first as the holiday approaches. For attractions like Ba Na Hills, where bookings have more than doubled year on year, the assumption should be to buy tickets in advance rather than count on same-day sales. The faster a place is growing, the less time you have once you decide to go.<\/p>\n

Each city's highlights in one line<\/h2>\n