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| Foreign visitors go on a cyclo tour in Hanoi (Source: vov.vn) |
The central city of Da Nang took the lead with nearly 177,000 visitors, followed by Hanoi with nearly 103,000, Ninh Binh with 100,000, Quang Nam with 97,000, Quang Ninh with 89,767, and Ho Chi Minh City with 75,000.
Most notably, the southern island of Phu Quoc, a major tourist destination in Vietnam, welcomed 52,000 international visitors during the period, recording an increase of nearly six times year on year.
According to the VNAT, the increase in the number of foreign visitors can be attributed to favourable visa policies, proper market exploitation, and efforts of businesses and localities, as well as effective promotion activities.
The VNAT also noted that during the holiday period, the tourism industry served 10.5 million domestic tourists, up 16.6% over the same period from last year. The average occupancy rate of hotels and resorts was 45% to 50%.
Hoi An among world’s top 25 Honeymoon Destinations of 2024
According to VOV, the ancient riverbank city of Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam has been named among the world’s top 25 Honeymoon Destinations of 2024 on Tripadvisor 2023 Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Awards.
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| Hoi An has been named among world’s top 25 Honeymoon Destinations of 2024 by Tripadvisor |
According to Tripadvisor, Hoi An was placed second on the list, and it was the only Vietnamese representative to make the list.
The city is an ideal place for couples around the world to enjoy their honeymoon and create life-time memories.
The place is one of the most welcoming and romantic cities on Earth that any travel lover should experience once in their lifetime, Tripadvisor stressed.
First place on the list went to Bali of Indonesia. Other destinations named were the Maldives, the Republic of Dominica, Santorini (Greece), Mauritius, Venice (Italy), Khao Lak (Thailand), Zanzibar (Tanzania), and Budapest (Hungary).
World yacht race to arrive in Quang Ninh province
The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race will make a stop in Vietnam when the eleven strong fleet sails to Ha Long city, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, home to UNESCO heritage site Ha Long Bay from Australia’s Queensland from February 21-26.
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| Cruising Ha Long Bay (Photo: VNA) |
The “Ha Long Bay, Vietnam” of Quang Ninh province is among the teams, with 400 crewmen who are scientists, businesses, investors, doctors and renowned people that love boat racing.
According to the provincial Department of Tourism, the fleet will engage in several activities in Quang Ninh before leaving on March 2 for Jiuzhou port in China’s Guangdong province.
The 2023-2024 race sees adventurers from all over the world to take on the challenges of racing across the oceans on 70-foot ocean racing yachts. It is divided into eight legs with 16 individual races and six ocean crossings.
Quang Ninh province will organise various activities on the occasion with a view to popularising local attractions and luring investors, including a welcoming ceremony, a programme to introduce local staples and destinations at Ha Long international port, an investment conference, static event and art performances, among others.
The first Clipper Race started in October 1996, with eight teams of 60-foot yachts departing Plymouth, the UK. More than 50 cities around the world have hosted the event so far.
HCM City, Son La join UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
Ho Chi Minh City and Son La city in the northern mountainous province of the same name have joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) as announced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on February 14.
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| The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities is an international network comprising cities that successfully promote lifelong learning across their communities. (Photo: VNA) |
They were among the 64 new members from 35 countries recognised by the organisation for their outstanding efforts to make lifelong learning a reality for all at the local level.
Ambassador Nguyen Thi Van Anh, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UNESCO, noted that the event reflects specific steps in the implementation of policies and guidelines of the Party and the State regarding international integration and education.
Dao Quyen Truong, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO Affairs under the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, viewed it as the result of the materialisation of the cultural diplomacy strategy to 2030, efforts and resolve of the local People’s Committees as well as their close coordination with relevant agencies, experts and scientists both at home abroad, and contributions by local residents.
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| A lab activity of students in Son La. (Photo: VNA) |
Apart from HCM City and Son La, three other Vietnamese cities have also joined the network, namely Sa Dec city in the Mekong Delta city of Dong Thap, Vinh city in the central province of Nghe An (2020), and Dong Thap’s Cao Lanh city (2022).
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities is an international network comprising cities that successfully promote lifelong learning across their communities. The new learning cities are added to the network on the recommendation of a jury of experts. A strong commitment to lifelong learning by the mayor and city administration and a track record of good practices and policy initiatives are key prerequisites for becoming a learning city.
With the new members, the network now counts 356 cities from 79 countries with more than 390 million people benefiting from lifelong learning opportunities./.