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Since May 2022, the Hai Phong Department of Tourism has been publishing a map of delicious food and distributing it free of charge to passengers at Hai Phong train station. (Photo: Hai Phong Department of Tourism)
Foodtours in Hai Phong are booming.
In 2022, the goal for Hai Phong tourism after reopening was to target the domestic tourism market with nearby destinations and reasonable costs, using the domestic tourism market as the driving force for recovery. On March 15, 2022, the Hai Phong Department of Tourism introduced Hai Phong Foodtour as a suitable strategic product.
Soon after, Hai Phong food tours became a booming trend on social media platforms, a favorite product of tourists, especially young people, students, and university students. The number of passengers traveling on the Hanoi - Hai Phong railway in 2022 reached 700,000, a five-fold increase compared to 2021. From April to October alone, the number of passengers increased tenfold compared to the same period. The average number of train passengers on weekends and holidays reached over 4,000 per day.
To best prepare for tourists visiting and experiencing Hai Phong's food tours, the Department of Tourism has researched, designed, published, and distributed free maps of Hai Phong's delicious dishes and maps of check-in locations for tourists. In collaboration with young people reviewing food and tourism, they produced and uploaded video clips titled "Hai Phong: A Tour of Check-ins" on online media channels, attracting widespread attention from locals and tourists. The Department of Tourism organized a campaign to promote and obtain commitments from restaurant, eatery, and hotel owners regarding food safety and hygiene, civilized tourism conduct, and selling at the listed price, aiming to build a positive image of Hai Phong's people for tourists.
Ms. Pham Thuy Mai (Tu Son City, Bac Ninh Province) shared: After three Food Tour experiences, she has enjoyed almost all the dishes on the Hai Phong Food Map. Most recently, Ms. Mai and her family experienced a food tour using public bicycles. “Cycling around the city in the afternoon, enjoying delicious dishes like crab noodle soup, sủi dìn (a type of sweet soup), spicy bread, Thai sweet soup… was a memorable experience for my family. Hopefully, during the upcoming April 30th and May 1st holidays, my family will have more interesting experiences in Hai Phong, discovering many delicious restaurants with enthusiastic service,” Ms. Mai said.
Focus on promoting tourism on social media platforms.
To improve service quality, and especially to emphasize the sustainable development of Hai Phong Foodtour, the Department of Tourism has developed and launched the Hai Phong City Tour digital map at https://haiphongcitytour.vn/, following a youthful, modern, professional, and user-friendly design.
Digital maps provide suggestions and directions for tourists to restaurants, check-in points, hotels, etc., according to their needs. Tourists can directly rate the quality of service and their satisfaction level after their actual experience; they can create their own itineraries and share them with friends, colleagues, and family.
The Department of Tourism also collaborated with Traveloka to launch an online tourism exchange platform in Hai Phong, providing useful travel addresses and information, convenient online booking services, and many added benefits for tourists experiencing tourism in Hai Phong. In just the first three months of its launch, the Hai Phong online exchange platform received positive feedback from businesses and tourists. The Hai Phong City Tour digital map attracted over 10,000 visits and information searches.
To promote tourism, in addition to participating in tourism promotion at major domestic and international tourism fairs, the Department of Tourism is stepping up the dissemination of information about the city's destinations on the websites dulichhaiphong.gov.vn and sodulich.haiphong.gov.vn, as well as social media platforms, attracting over 20,000 followers.
The website dulichhaiphong.gov.vn also features a "Hai Phong Reviews" section, allowing tourists to proactively post and share their experiences, creating a multi-directional, quick, and close interaction between state management agencies, tourism service businesses, and tourists.
Mr. Vu Huy Thuong, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Tourism, stated: "Thanks to efforts in product development and innovation in tourism promotion, in 2022, Hai Phong tourism welcomed and served 7 million visitors, an 89% increase compared to the same period, exceeding the 2022 plan by 55%. Revenue reached 6,300 billion VND, a 98% increase compared to the same period in 2021."
In just the first two months of 2023, the city welcomed and served 913,622 visitors, an increase of 28.45% compared to the same period last year; revenue reached 822.259 billion VND. This is considered a positive sign for Hai Phong tourism after a period of impact from the pandemic.
