As reported by the Vietnam News Agency, despite tour prices to Russia during World Cup 2018 being higher than usual, the tourist market is still booming at travel companies in Hanoi as many fans have registered to purchase tours, looking for a chance to watch the live matches between their favourite teams from the stand.

The price for tours to Russia offered by travel companies in Hanoi ranges from VND55-80 million per pax (not including World Cup ticket prices), depending on the schedule of each tour.

Pham Van Bay, Deputy Director of Vietravel Company in Hanoi, said that during the World Cup 2018, his company will serve 25 tourist delegations to Russia with a total of over 600 guests. It is estimated that the number of visitors to Russia via the travel agency during this year's largest football festival will triple compared to the same period in 2017, Bay added.

As a leading travel company in Vietnam, Vietravel is also the sole official ticket distributor of FIFA for the World Cup 2018 in Southeast Asia. Tickets purchased from Vietravel will be validated with a FanID that can be used for multiple entry visas, as well as free public transport during the event.

Many Vietnamese fans are urgently booking tours to Russia to support the World Cup. (Photo: Getty Images)

As for Hanoi Red Tours JSC, visitors booking its World Cup tours will be divided into three groups, with the largest consisting of 80 people. Vu Thi Bich Hue, Head of the company’s Communications - Marketing Department, said that the tour price increased by about 50% compared to the normal level. Accordingly, the seven-day tour to Russia normally costs about VND45.9 million, but will increase to VND74.5 million during World Cup.

joining the same atmosphere to cheer the World Cup, TransViet Travel Company is completing procedures for two delegations to Russia, each consisting of more than 20 guests, with tour prices at VND55 million for an eight-day schedule. In particular, the delegation departing from Hanoi on June 23 will be present in the stadium during the match between Argentina and Nigeria on June 27. The company also plans to prepare Vietnamese T-shirts and Vietnamese national flags for visitors to cheer on the World Cup in order to promote the Vietnamese image at the Russian stadiums.

To serve local fans touring Russia for the World Cup, six to seven months earlier, Hanoi tourism companies actively booked services, such as airfare, hotel rooms and transport means to provide the best conditions for visitors. Up to now, although the demand is still high, several travel companies have insisted that they cannot serve more and have stopped receiving guests during the World Cup from the beginning of June.