Many activities were organized in Hanoi to celebrate the 31st SEA Games.

The 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) is a "golden" opportunity to promote Vietnam as a tourist destination in general, and Hanoi in particular, to international friends, especially now that Vietnamese tourism has reopened after a long period of disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Unique cultural activities and tourism products

The Hanoi Department of Tourism has actively directed destination, accommodation, and travel agencies to develop new tourism products and activate unique tourism products to serve tourists, such as: the "Footprints of Bat Trang Ancient Village" bicycle tour; activating night tourism products in the Son Tay pedestrian street and Trinh Cong Son pedestrian street; the Thang Long Imperial Citadel decoding night tour; the Hoa Lo Prison exploration night tour; the Hanoi City Tour by double-decker bus; and the Southeast Asian culture exploration tour at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology with activities including visiting Southeast Asian cultural exhibitions and experiencing folk games…

In addition, several reputable travel companies such as Hanoi Tourist, Vietfoot Travel, LUX Travel, VI Travel, Vietravel... have developed 28 typical tours and travel programs, including visits to famous landmarks and unique culinary experiences in Hanoi and its surrounding areas, to introduce to international delegates, athletes, and journalists.

Many events were organized by the Hanoi Department of Tourism before, during, and after the 31st SEA Games. The series of tourism events in the capital city to celebrate the 31st SEA Games kicked off with the "Hanoi Tourism Welcome 2022 - Get On Hanoi 2022" program and a hot air balloon ride experience, organized by the Hanoi Department of Tourism.

In addition, the Hanoi tourism industry continues to organize unique promotional events and programs, including: the 2022 Friendship Journey in Quoc Oai district; the 2022 Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival in the Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian area; the Bat Trang tourism week; the opening of the Son Tay - Xu Doai Tourism Year and the inauguration of the Son Tay Ancient Citadel pedestrian street; the opening of the 2022 Giong Festival at Phu Dong Temple and the reception of the decision recognizing Phu Dong as a "Phu Dong Tourist Destination"; the Love Festival in Hong Van commune, Thuong Tin district…

In addition, the City's Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion Center organized two events to celebrate the 31st SEA Games: the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2022 in the Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian area and the Hanoi Culinary and Traditional Craft Village Tourism Festival in the Le Quang Dao street area, Nam Tu Liem district.

Preparation of accommodation and event promotion.

To prepare a high-quality tourism accommodation system to serve the 31st SEA Games, based on a review, assessment, and compilation of the number of 3-5 star tourist accommodation establishments in the city, the Department of Tourism has introduced 14 4-5 star hotels to serve delegations, representatives of sports teams from various countries, athletes, and international journalists attending the 31st SEA Games.

In addition, the city has 62 3-5 star hotels and luxury apartments, equivalent to 7,355 rooms, and nearly 500 1-2 star hotels with over 11,000 rooms ready to serve tourists visiting Hanoi during the SEA Games 31. The Department of Tourism will also maintain regular inspections and monitoring of accommodation establishments serving tourism before and during the event to ensure the best quality service for the Games.

The promotion and advertising of Hanoi tourism during the SEA Games 31 was carried out through the publication of promotional materials and gift products, serving as tools to introduce and promote Hanoi tourism. Specifically, activities included reprinting 3,500 Hanoi tourist maps and 4,000 copies of the book "Hanoi - A Safe, Friendly, and Attractive Destination" in both Vietnamese and English. Souvenir gifts were also produced to promote Hanoi tourism to international delegates, athletes, and journalists.

Hanoi's tourism sector also collaborated with Vietnam Television (VTV) and Hanoi Television (HTV) to develop and broadcast the tourism promotion program "Hanoi - Come to Love," airing in two phases (Phase 1 from April to August 2022; Phase 2 from September to December 2022). The Department of Tourism also partnered with CNN International to produce and broadcast a 30-second promotional video showcasing Hanoi's tourism, incorporating the SEA Games 31 logo. Simultaneously, it intensified the promotion of Hanoi's culture, tourism, and people on the Department of Tourism's website, the Hanoi tourism website, and social media platforms; and maintained the Hanoi tourism FM program and a tourist support hotline.

To ensure a skilled workforce for the 31st SEA Games, in April, the Hanoi Department of Tourism organized training sessions for over 160 delegates, including officials from the Culture and Information Departments, Culture and Information Centers of districts, towns, and communes where the SEA Games 31 competitions will take place, and representatives from tourism businesses in the city. The Department of Tourism also collaborated with the Logistics and Public Services Subcommittee (General Department of Physical Education and Sports, General Department of Tourism) to conduct training courses on hotel management, tourism service skills, and dietary cuisine (Halah food) for staff from 14 hotels participating in serving the SEA Games 31.

The 31st SEA Games is the largest sporting event in Southeast Asia. Besides its significant political, diplomatic, cultural, sporting, and economic importance, it's also a fantastic opportunity to promote the image of Vietnam, its people, and tourism in general, and Hanoi in particular, to the international community. It's also a chance for Hanoi to affirm its brand as a destination for hosting international and regional events.

Additional information

The 2021 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) were hosted in Vietnam. This was the second time Hanoi had hosted the Southeast Asian Games since 2003.

The 2021 Southeast Asian Games, commonly known as SEA Games 31, will take place from May 5-23, 2022 in Hanoi and surrounding areas including Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh, Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, and Bac Giang. Hanoi will host the opening and closing ceremonies on May 12 and May 23, respectively.

There are a total of 40 sports, mostly those that are contested at the Asian Games and the Olympic Games.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

PV