I have often had to schedule my international clients to visit neighboring countries to avoid Vietnam's traditional Tet holiday while it is truly a unique cultural feature and a valuable asset for tourism promotion.

However, Vietnam has yet to fully exploit its potential.

On Sunday, or the 27th day of the 12th lunar month, I was on my way back to Vietnam from Phnom Penh after handing over a group of 13 tourists from Canada, the U.S., and the UK to our Cambodian partners.

This group of tourists had signed up for a birdwatching tour in Vietnam for over two weeks. Their tour coincided with the country’s traditional Tet holiday.

Due to the immense challenges of organizing tours during Tet, we had to persuade them to switch to a week-long birdwatching and photography tour in Cambodia and return to Vietnam on February 1.

Tet should be an opportunity to attract international visitors. Besides the primary purpose of birdwatching and photography, these tourists could also experience the unique atmosphere of Tet. So why do local travel companies avoid arranging tours during Tet?

In 2007, I first led a group of international tourists from Scotland and Canada on a birdwatching tour in Vietnam. The tour took place during Tet.

While it was winter in Europe and North America, the climate was favorable in tropical countries like Vietnam.

The journey from Cat Tien National Park in southern Dong Nai Province to Da Lat City in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong and Bach Ma National Park in central Thua Thien-Hue Province in the first 10 days was smooth. But on the last day of the lunar year, as we flew from Hue to Hanoi to travel to Cuc Phuong National Park, we began to face difficulties.

Landing at Noi Bai International Airport, we could not find a car to Cuc Phuong. Everyone refused to transport the group as they had to go home to celebrate Tet with their families.

We spent the entire afternoon searching and pleading. Finally, a broker arranged a shared car to Nam Dinh Province, which was originally meant to pick up passengers from Ho Chi Minh City returning home for Tet.

We could reach Cuc Phuong, but at a price five times higher than normal taxi fares at that time.

Having overcome the first hurdle, we faced another challenge: food.

On the first day of the new lunar year, we discovered that no restaurants were open. The entire group had to ask for banh chung (square sticky rice cakes) to satisfy their hunger.

In the following days in Cuc Phuong, Tam Dao in Vinh Phuc Province, and Xuan Thuy in Nam Dinh Province, things were not much easier, but fortunately, our guests were very understanding.

Things have improved significantly over the past few years.

I still lead tours during Tet. Some years, I celebrated New Year’s Eve in Bach Ma, others in Cat Tien. And I still encounter difficulties during the first three days of new lunar years when services are limited.

I have often brought guests to celebrate Tet with my family -- sometimes in my hometown (north-central Quang Tri Province), other times in my wife's hometown (the Mekong Delta). The warm family meals, the customs of wrapping banh chung and banh tet (cylindrical glutinous rice cakes), giving lucky money, and the festive atmosphere have delighted international guests.

Many of them still talk about it as one of the most memorable experiences of their lives.

However, even my company often declines to organize tours during Tet for two reasons.

First, employees are reluctant to work. Most people share a common sentiment that after a hard-working year, they want to spend Tet with their families.

Second, domestic services during Tet are limited and excessively expensive compared to normal times, making it difficult to ensure a smooth journey.

If the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism could provide a clear direction on promoting Tet to the world and support businesses in this endeavor, I believe Vietnam would attract many more international visitors.

A well-organized Tet celebration could become a 'unique tourism product,' not only creating a deep impression but also generating significant revenue.

However, it is challenging as everyone wants to return to their families during Tet.

*This article was originally written in Vietnamese by Nguyen Hoai Bao and translated by Tuoi Tre News.

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