Mu Cang Chai terraced fields in the northern Yen Bai Province. Autumn tours offered by local travel firms are becoming increasingly popular, with companies announcing a rise in the number of bookings. — VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI (VNS) — Autumn tours offered by local travel firms are becoming increasingly popular, with companies announcing a rise in the number of bookings.

One of the main reasons for the increase in autumn tour bookings is the attractiveness of the season — pleasantly mild climate, a colourful display of flowers and trees, bright yellow rice terraces, hamlets blanketed by clouds, and limitless tea hills.

Homestay is growing popular, with Thua Thien Hue alone receiving over two million tourists in eight months this year.

According to Tran Tuan Anh, deputy director of Vietravel Ha Noi, his company has seen a 20 per cent increase in the number of tourists travelling to the north-west and north-east in August and the first half of September.

Mai Chau in Hoa Binh Province, Moc Chau in Son La, Sa Pa in Lao Cai and Mu Cang Chai in Yen Bai are top fall destinations.

Nguyen Cong Hoan, deputy general director of Ha Noi Redtours, said the company operates tours to the north-west and north-east for customers eager to explore the culture and beauty of the mountains. They are the most sought after in autumn-winter, he said, adding there are two tours each week.

Many companies are also offering tours to Northeast Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and China as well as to Europe and North America. — VNS