Hanoi welcomes its first group of tourists in 2021.

This is a group of 20 tourists organized by Hanoitourist Travel Company, who traveled from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. According to the tourists in the group, they chose Hanoi as their first destination in the new year because it is a land with a thousand-year history and rich cultural heritage; the national political and administrative center; a major center for culture, education, science and technology, economy, and international trade; and a place with abundant and attractive tourism resources offering many high-quality tourism products and services. In particular, the friendliness and hospitality of the people of Hanoi have left a deep impression on tourists, creating a beautiful, attractive, and safe image of the city. Hanoi consistently ranks among the world's top travel destinations because its unique characteristics have left a strong and lasting impression on both domestic and international visitors.

Mr. Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, welcomed the first group of tourists to Hanoi in 2021 and expressed his delight at receiving them at the Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam National Special Monument, a leading tourist destination in Hanoi, to convey the message about the fascinating stories of a thousand-year-old heritage in Hanoi's tourism products.

“Hanoi proudly welcomes and is ready to serve esteemed tourists from all over the world with a complete system of modern tourism infrastructure, unique and high-quality tourism products, and attentive, dedicated, and warm service; to truly affirm Hanoi as a leading destination that is “Safe, Friendly, High-Quality, and Attractive”. The event welcoming the first group of tourists to Hanoi in 2021 took place on the first morning of the new year, with great significance to start a new era with many wishes for the tourism industry to be prosperous and successful,” Mr. Tran Trung Hieu shared.

Before the ceremony, visitors and delegates participating in the event performed the ritual of offering incense and listening to the commemorative address at the front hall of the Temple of Literature - National University, and enjoyed a special artistic program.

Looking back at the challenging year of 2020, marked by the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the tourism industry, the Hanoi city government has actively directed efforts, along with the hard work of the tourism business community and the affection of tourists for Hanoi. The capital's tourism sector has overcome difficulties and challenges, beginning to recover domestic tourism and contributing positively to the successful achievement of the dual goal of "both preventing and controlling the Covid-19 pandemic and restoring and developing socio-economic activities."

The program "Welcoming the first group of tourists to Hanoi in 2021" is an opportunity to promote the image of Hanoi's culture and people – Vietnam, and is hoped to be a good start, a promising sign of future growth for tourism in the capital city in particular, and Vietnamese tourism in general, in 2021 and the years to come.

PV