Tour operators in Vietnam has been organizing high-power motorbike tours which attract tourists from Norway and Denmark, preferring to hit the road on their own terms, exploring Vietnam’s must-see sights from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang and Ha Long Bay instead of more restrictive, but more comfortable modern cars and luxury hotels.
Most of the tourists expressing an interest in this type of tour are high earners, Phan Than, Director of the Vyta Tours Company – one of the first companies in Ho Chi Minh City to organise the trans-Viet motorbike tours, said it costs between US $4,000-5000 for a 17-day trans-Viet package tour while a trans-Asia tour takes several months and can cost up to US $30,000-40,000.
Its popularity is also due to the variety in scenery and the chance to get hands-on experience of the culture and daily life of local people, Than said.
However, tour operators have complained that getting tourists temporary driving licences is posing a major challenge. Several companies in Ho Chi Minh City have started up this type of tour, Than said, adding that while demand is increasing, each company can only organise a handful of tours per year due to complicated driving licence procedures.
Vu The Binh, Director of the National Administration of Tourism’s Travel Department, said the simplification of procedures will pave the way for better conditions to get more tourists on this type of tour.
