Ubiquitous “no vacancy” postings from hotels has caused Vietravel, one of the biggest travel agencies in Viet Nam, to cancel tours for more than 300 Thai and Malaysian visitors expecting to arrive in Ha Noi during November and December.

Sofitel Plaza five-star hotel in Ha Noi

Vietravel is also in a predicament to find accommodations for nearly 2,300 other international visitors to Ha Noi from now to the end of the year.

Another leading travel agency in Viet Nam, Saigontourist, has received bookings from 20,000 travelers en route to Ha Noi from Oct to December, but was forced to refuse a group of 500 Russian tourists due to the same lack of space.

Following the logic of the travel agencies, the Center of Incentive Tours and Events (CITE) of Ben Thanh Tourist Company has temporarily halted tours to Ha Noi until the end of 2006.

“This period in Ha Noi, aside from being its peak travel season, will see the arrival of a number of international events including the APEC summit,” explained the deputy director for Ha Noi’s Department of Tourism, Cao Thi Ngoc Lan.