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| Pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake attract a large number of tourists (Photo: VNA) |
According to the municipal Tourism Department, in the period, the capital city served 72,000 foreign tourists, a 2.1-fold increase, and 330,000 domestic holidaymakers, up 59% year-on-year.
Total revenue from tourists is estimated at nearly 1.5 trillion VND (61.8 million USD), a year-on-year surge of 73%, and the hotel average occupancy rate is about 60%, up 7.8% year-on-year.
Destinations that attracted large numbers of tourists include Hoan Kiem lake and its surrounding areas and the Hanoi Old Quarter, the Temple of Literature, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, and the Ba Vi National Park.
Festival spotlights Hue’s cultural heritage
A kaleidoscope of festive activities will be held throughout 2024 in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue in the framework of the Hue Festival 2024, the provincial People’s Committee said on January 1, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
Themed “Cultural heritage with international integration and development”, the event will feature an array of standout festivals, including Spring Festival from January to March, Summer Festival from April to June, Autumn Festival from July to September, and Winter Festival from October to December, and hundreds of response activities.
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| The province debuts the Hue Festival 2024 by performing the Ban Soc (royal calendar delivery) ceremony. (Photo: VNA) |
Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre Hoang Viet Trung said that the festival will continue capitalising on the royal, religious and traditional festivals while aiming at developing the new ones, turning them into local tourism products that help promote the province’s socio-economic development.
The province debuted the Hue Festival 2024 by performing the Ban Soc (royal calendar delivery) ceremony – the event that kings under the Nguyen Dynasty organised to distribute calendars for royal mandarins at Ngo Mon (Noon Gate). Ordinary people received the calendar in their localities.
Hue Festival, held for 24 years, is one of the key international art event in Vietnam.
The local administration has been reviving the wearing of traditional ao dai (long dresses) in the community on festivals and special days of the year to promote the beauty and value of the Hue-based 300-year-old dress.
Hue, the imperial capital in Vietnam for over 100 years, has been a unique destination in central Vietnam with its five UNESCO heritage: the ancient citadel relic complex, Hue royal court music, Nguyen Dynasty’s wooden blocks, Nguyen Dynasty’s royal administrative documents, and literature on Hue royal architecture.
Vietnam Airlines carries year's first visitors
The first domestic and international visitors to Vietnam in 2014 received a special welcome ceremony with bouquets and special gifts held by the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines in collaboration with localities nationwide on January 1, according to Vietnam News Agency.
Ho Chi Minh City welcomed its first foreign tourists on a Vietnam Airlines’ flight from Paris while Da Nang city greeted the first visitors on flights from Tokyo and Hanoi.
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| At the welcome ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA) |
In the meantime, the central provinces of Thua Thien – Hue and Nghe An had their first visitors from Hanoi, and Binh Dinh and Quang Binh welcomed their first visitors from Ho Chi Minh City.
Those from Ho Chi Minh City to Ca Mau and Con Dao were also accorded to effusive welcomes.
This year, Vietnam aims to welcome 17-18 million foreign visitors, the same number recorded in 2019-the time before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and 110 million domestic ones. Tourism revenue is expected at some 840 trillion VND (34.61 billion USD).
Da Nang Port receives first cargo in New Year 2024
Da Nang Port Joint Stock Company welcomed the first tonne of cargo at Tien Sa Port on January 1, the first day of New Year 2024, said Radio the Voice of Vietnam.
The cargo was loaded and then unloaded from the ship SITC HAINAN with a total tonnage of 21,355 DWT.
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| Da Nang Port receives first cargo in New Year 2024 (Photo: baodanang.vn) |
After completing all import procedures for the shipment, the ship is set to transport a total of 231 containers of cargo for exports.
Last year saw Da Nang Port invest in purchasing modern equipment in order to optimise its exploitation capacity. Furthermore, the port has also implemented the Hoa Vang Logistics Center, building project covering an area of 20 hectares as well as a large warehouse system which is capable of serving the entire central region.
Moreover, it has focused on upgrading infrastructure and logistics systems with the aim of implementing a Door to Door service for customers in 2024.
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| Tran Le Tuan, General Director of Da Nang Port, presents lucky money to workers of the port (Photo: baodanang.vn) |
Tran Le Tuan, general director of Da Nang Port, said that despite numerous difficulties faced by the Vietnamese economy, there remains huge potential for greater development in both Da Nang and the nation’s central region.
This year, Da Nang Port is determined that all production and business targets will increase by 7% compared to 2023, with worker average income soaring by 3% compared to the previous year./.