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| Officials of the Quang Ninh Tourism Department present flowers to welcome the tourists boarding Dream Cruise on January 26. (Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper) |
This is the first time the cruise liner has returned to Ha Long since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Sanya (China) - Ha Long (Vietnam) route, reported VNA.
During their stay, the tourists will visit Ha Long Bay, go on city tours to explore local culture and cuisine as well as tour some neighbouring localities.
From now until March, Dream Cruise is scheduled to have at least one trip to Ha Long every week, depending on the number of bookings.
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| Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage site (Photo: VNA) |
Sixty international cruise ships with a total of some 80,000 passengers aboard have registered to dock at Ha Long International Port this year. These ships belong to renowned firms such as Mein Schiff 6 & 5, Celebrity Solstice, Noordam, MSC Spendida, and Westerdam, according to the provincial Department of Tourism.
Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Nguyen Huyen Anh said as one of the localities with the most modern international seaports in the country, Quang Ninh focuses on attracting international cruise tourists to the province.
The department has coordinated with other departments and agencies to facilitate immigration procedures and offer the best services to foreign visitors, she added.
The province is striving to attract 17-20 million visitors this year, including 3 million foreign visitors, with revenue from tourism reaching 39.1 trillion VND (1.58 billion USD). It aims to welcome about 25 million tourists by 2030, of which 8 million are foreign arrivals and the number of visitors will grow at 6% a year on average.
Chinese cruise ship brings 700 foreign visitors to Da Nang
According to VOV, Chinese-flagged cruise ship Zhao Shang Yi Dun docked at Tien Sa port in the coastal city of Da Nang on January 25, carrying more than 700 tourists on board.
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| Chinese cruise ship brings 700 foreign visitors to Da Nang. (Photo: baodanang.vn) |
Upon arrival in the central city visitors were given the chance to explore many of the famous local tourist attractions such as the Cham Museum, Han market, the Marble Mountain scenic area, APEC sculpture park, and Linh Ung pagoda.
Moving forward, the cruise ship Zhao Shang Yi Dun is expected to anchor at Tien Sa port again on January 31, with the carrying an estimated total of 700 passengers to Da Nang.
Furthermore, Da Nang will greet nearly 2,000 cruise passengers from Europe and the United States on the cruise ship Westerdam on January 30.
During the first two months of the year a total of 14 international cruise ships carrying 15,400 passengers on board are scheduled to dock at Tien Sa port, including two cruise liners with around 1,400 foreign travelers arriving during the Lunar New Year festival.
Da Nang is scheduled to welcome 13 more cruise ships throughout March and April, with these vessels bringing with them a total of 17,500 foreign travelers.
Last year saw the central coastal city receive 22 international cruise liners with 18,000 arrivals on board. This figure is expected to rise to 45 ships and 40,000 foreigners over the course of this, doubling compared to last year.
Vietnam named among Asia’s top 5 destinations over Lunar New Year
Vietnam has recently been listed in the top 5 most popular destinations for travellers across the Asia-Pacific region during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet holiday) according to data from Agoda, reported NDO.
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Vietnam named among Asia’s top 5 destinations over Lunar New Year
(Photo for illustration/ Source: VOV) |
It is predicted that Korean tourists will lead the number of visitors to Vietnam on the occasion.
According to recent data from online travel agency Agoda, based on bookings made on its platform between January 1 and 15 for stays on February 9 or 10 for a minimum of two nights, tourists from various Asian countries are increasingly choosing Vietnam as their preferred destination for the upcoming Lunar New Year travel period, attracted by its stunning scenery, warm culture, and renowned cuisine.
The top 5 regional destinations alongside Vietnam are Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
The top destinations within Vietnam during the Tet holiday are expected to be Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hanoi, and Phu Quoc Island.
“When it came to inbound travellers to Vietnam over one of the region's largest breaks, Koreans have led the way, ahead of visitors from China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, all ensuring a busy Tet season for Vietnam's travel industry,” says Agoda.
Meanwhile, according to the online travel company, Vietnamese visitors are also getting their bags packed for their annual break, with Da Lat proving to be this year's top domestic destination.
The hilltop retreat claimed top spot, ranking in ahead of seaside locales Nha Trang, Da Nang, and Phan Thiet. Ho Chi Minh City rounded out the list, placing fourth in terms of bookings across the period.
Increasingly local travellers have been opting to travel beyond their own borders over Tet, with this year's data showing travellers opting for big-city breaks, with the Bangkok claiming first place.
The Thai capital was followed by Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, and Bali.
“Tet is a time of renewal and celebration, and we see this reflected in the travel choices of our customers,” said Lam Vu, Country Director Vietnam at Agoda. “The diversity of preferred destinations speaks to the rich tapestry of experiences sought by travellers during this festive season. Whether it’s the vibrant street life of Bangkok, the mountain retreats of Da Lat, or the serene beaches of Bali, Agoda facilitates these journeys with ease and value.”.
Tourism authority launches video clip highlighting Nha Trang tourism
The Vietnam National Tourism Authority (VNAT) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on January 26 launched a video clip entitled "Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa: Touching your heart!" as part of the activities to promote the south-central province’s tourism within the VNAT’s tourism communications programme on digital platforms, reported VNA.
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| Beautiful beaches of Nha Trang are introduced in the "Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa: Touching your heart!" video clip. |
The 2-minute clip won the second prize of the National External Information Service Awards 2022, featuring the natural beauty of Nha Trang city as well as the locality’s modern tourism services with the combination of the traditional culture.
It leads audiences to ancient Champa towers to enjoy captivating dances, bringing them to crystal blue water of pristine beaches and high-end resort spaces, offering them with experience of exciting sports activities at sea and art performances with the combination of traditional and modern arts. The video clip also highlights typical dishes of the coastal city.
Director of the VNAT’s Tourism Information Centre Hoang Quoc Hoa said that it is a good time to strengthen communications to introduce Vietnamese tourism to the world to encourage foreign visitors to visit Vietnam.
The launching of the video clip shows the VNAT’s commitment to accompanying with localities and agencies across the nation in tourism promotion for speeding up tourism recovery and development, said Hoa.
According to the VNAT, Nha Trang has been a choice of a large number of tourists. Last year, the beach city welcomed 7 million visitors, up 170.5% year on year, including about 2.1 million foreigners, 7.1 times higher than that in 2022. Its revenue from tourism activities hit nearly 31.8 trillion VND (nearly 1.3 billion USD), up 127.5% year on year.
This year, Khanh Hoa aims to serve 9 million tourists, including 3 million foreigners, earning at least 40 trillion VND./.