The nine consecutive days off for the Lunar New Year 2025 (Tet holiday) are expected to boost tourism and shopping.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has approved the holiday schedule for the Lunar New Year and some national holidays in 2025.
Specifically, the Tet holiday will last from January 25 to February 2, 2025 (between the 26th day of the last month of 2024 and the 5th day of the first month of 2025 of the lunar calendar), consisting of five days off for Tet, plus two weekend days and two weekday substitution days.
A group of tourists pose for photo in Hanoi's Old Quarter during 2024 Tet holiday. Photo: Duy Minh/The Hanoi Times |
For April 30 and International Labor Day (May 1), the Prime Minister authorized a holiday period from Saturday (April 26, 2025) to Friday (May 2, 2025), making it five consecutive days off.
Workers will take days off for National Day 2025 on September 2 and the day before, plus two weekend days to make it a four-day holiday, from August 30 to September 2, 2025.
According to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, employers of private and foreign enterprises can determine the Tet holiday schedule for employees, taking into account the Tet holiday schedule for civil servants and practical considerations. Businesses are encouraged by the government to give their employees the same leave as civil servants.
The ministry mandated that businesses inform their employees of the Tet holiday plan at least 30 days in advance while maintaining their flexibility to decide their holiday schedules.
Workers in Vietnam are entitled to 11 paid official holidays, which include New Year's Day (one day), Lunar New Year (five days), Hung Kings' Commemoration Day (one day), and National Day (two days off). Two extra days off are granted to foreign workers in Vietnam, which include a traditional New Year's holiday and a National Day.
The extended holiday will give workers time to recharge, boost tourism, and promote economic growth. A nine-day break for Tet in early 2025 would greatly benefit the tourism industry, according to the Hanoi Department of Tourism.
"A long holiday could help increase the number of tourists by 20% over last year," the department said.
Tran Trung Hieu of Hanoi-based Delta Travel also hoped for a nine-day break, saying it would provide much-needed relief to the tourism industry, which has struggled this year due to flooding in the northern region.
"Since 2018, the trend of traveling abroad for Tet has gained popularity, especially to long-haul destinations such as Europe. After the Covid-19 pandemic, this trend has continued to grow, with more and more people leaving on New Year's Eve or Tet," Hieu told The Hanoi Times.
He added that with a longer holiday, long-distance tours are easier to sell as Vietnamese tourists increasingly prefer to travel abroad duringTet.
"This year, we have already helped customers book five-day tours to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, China and even farther afield like Australia, Turkey and Egypt," said Hieu.
