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Get ready for the "peak" season.
Booking.com has just released a list of the most searched-for destinations for the upcoming April 30th and May 1st holidays, based on traveler reviews. Hanoi is one of the top 10 destinations on this list.
According to Booking.com's 2023 Travel Trends Report, travel is not only a priority for Vietnamese people and international tourists, but trips focused on nature and seeking peace are also becoming a trend. Booking.com suggests that during national holidays, major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will host celebrations and special events. Therefore, staycations would be a good option. In Hanoi, tourists can take advantage of visiting many historical sites and heritage locations such as the Temple of Literature, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the Four Fortresses of Thang Long, etc.; and enjoy street food tours.
Hanoi People's Committee's Plan No. 79/KH-UBND, issued on March 10, 2023, on the development of tourism in Hanoi in 2023, sets out many objectives to concretize Resolution No. 09-NQ/TU dated February 22, 2022, of the Hanoi Party Committee on "Developing the cultural industry in the Capital City in the period 2021 - 2025, orientation to 2030, vision to 2045". Specifically, the Plan clearly states the orientation for comprehensive development of tourism in the Capital City, achieving both scale and quality of service; attracting a large number of international and domestic tourists to visit and experience; maintaining Hanoi's role as a major tourism center of the country; continuing to build the image of a "Safe - Friendly - Quality - Attractive" destination;…
Vibrant tourism activities help promote the beautiful image of the thousand-year-old capital city.
Among its key solutions, the city focuses on attracting international tourists, increasing their spending, and extending their length of stay. For example, it concentrates resources on developing and creating truly professional and attractive tourism product groups; it directs tourists to participate in tours and activities and stay in suburban areas before visiting the city center; and it encourages the development of nighttime tourism products and enhanced experiential activities within traditional tourism product groups, including cuisine and shopping.
A prime example is the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2023, themed "Connecting Heritage for Tourism Development," which will take place from March 23-26. The Hanoi Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center anticipates welcoming approximately 50,000 domestic and international tourists. The festival will feature 150 booths and the participation of 100 tourism businesses, including major players such as Vietjet Air, Hanoi Tourism Corporation, and the Hanoi Tourism Association.
Besides conference activities and the introduction of tourism-stimulating products, a notable attraction for international tourists at this event is the Hanoi heritage tours. Two prominent heritage-linked tours were launched: the "Discovering the Ancient Vietnamese Capital" tour, taking visitors to Co Loa Citadel, and the "Journey Connecting the Heritage Sites of Thang Long Imperial Citadel (Hanoi) - Vinh Nghiem Pagoda - Tay Yen Tu (Bac Giang)". These tours are considered innovative and highly distinctive tourism products, deeply rooted in the cultural identity of Northern Vietnam. Another noteworthy activity of the festival is the experience space showcasing Hanoi's draft beer from the subsidy era, introducing a unique aspect of Hanoi's culinary culture while conveying a strong message about drinking alcohol: "If you drink alcohol, don't drive."
Leveraging the role of "conductor"
Since the pandemic, travel trends have changed significantly, favoring shorter trips. Hanoi has effectively played the role of "conductor" in developing regional tourism products that offer high-quality experiences between cities, creating momentum for tourism in the capital and neighboring provinces and cities.
Recently, SGO Travel launched a cultural tourism route connecting Thang Long Imperial Citadel (Hanoi) to Bac Giang, offering 7 diverse packages, departing daily from Wednesday to Sunday for domestic and international tourists. In February, Asia Luxury Cruise Group (APC) also began operating its luxury cruise product (Ambassador Cruise II) with a schedule connecting Hanoi and Ha Long (Quang Ninh) – a large-scale day trip with a capacity of 500 guests.
According to the Hanoi Tourism Association, close tourism linkages between Hanoi and other localities have yielded many positive results, for example, the Hanoi - Bac Giang; Hanoi - Ninh Binh; Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh; Hanoi - Nam Dinh… In addition, many caravan (self-driving) tourism products with longer routes and itineraries are also being promoted, such as routes from Hanoi to Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai… In the future, Hanoi's tourism industry aims to develop regional linkage products to boost the MICE tourism market (tourism combined with conferences, seminars, and events), urban tourism, coastal and island tourism, golf tourism, health care, and education.
In addition, the Hanoi Department of Tourism also announced that it is coordinating with the Department of Transport to study investment in developing inland river tourism routes along the Red River, West Lake, Dong Mo Lake, etc., linked to cultural, heritage, agricultural, and experiential tourism destinations in districts, towns, and cities. In 2023, it is estimated that the Department of Tourism, along with many other units and localities, will organize approximately 50 events to promote tourism and culture in Hanoi.
