The cruise ship from Hong Kong docked at Ha Long International Passenger Port this morning with 3,477 tourists and 1,000 crew members. The Chinese tourists will be divided into many groups to visit Ha Long Bay and other tourist attractions in Ha Long City. At 6 p.m. the same day, the group will board the ship to continue their journey.
A representative of Ha Long International Passenger Port said this is the cruise ship that opens the cruise tourism season in Quang Ninh from November to April next year and is one of the largest passenger ships to visit the locality this year.
The 5-star superyacht Costa Serena - one of the world's largest superyachts - has arrived in Ha Long Bay.
During their one-day stay in Ha Long, the group will be divided into several groups to visit Ha Long Bay and the city. This is considered one of the largest international cruise ships to visit Ha Long Bay this year, creating an important mark for the local tourism industry.
The Costa Serena has docked in Vietnam many times, but this is the first time it has visited Ha Long. Before COVID-19, the ship regularly took international tourists to tourist destinations, including Phu Quoc.
After the pandemic, the cruise ship returned to Vietnam at least twice in 2023. In May 2023, the ship brought 2,600 international tourists to visit the pearl island of Phu Quoc on a 5-day journey from Thailand, through Cambodia and then to Vietnam. In February 2024, the ship once again docked in Phu Quoc, carrying more than 1,000 tourists and crew.
This is considered a good sign for local tourism.
The arrival of the Costa Serena cruise ship in Ha Long not only contributes to attracting international tourists, but also brings many benefits to the local tourism and service industry. The event is an important milestone in welcoming international tourist groups, affirming Vietnam's position on the world tourism map.
Ha Long will have more opportunities to access the international tourism market, contributing to promoting the local economy and enhancing the image of Vietnam as a safe and attractive destination.
This is the opening cruise ship for the cruise tourism season in Quang Ninh from November to April next year.
According to experts, cruise tourism is gradually recovering after the Covid-19 pandemic. Ha Long is expected to welcome about 60-70 cruise ships this year, carrying about 70,000 passengers, and the end of the year is the peak time to welcome visitors.
Two weeks after Typhoon Yagi, Ha Long Bay welcomed nearly 40,000 visitors, nearly 90% of whom were foreign visitors from Korea, India, Europe, America... Despite suffering heavy losses due to the storm, Quang Ninh is still determined to complete the goal of welcoming 19 million tourists in 2024, including 3.5 million international visitors.
