The year 2023 was a successful year for Hanoi tourism, with its targets met and prestigious travel awards received. In 2024, the industry aims to welcome 27 million visitors, including 5.5 million international visitors.
| Nguyen Van Hung, a member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, presented Certificates of Merit to the Hanoi Department of Tourism for their achievements during the previous year. Photo: Hoai Nam Le |
These were the main highlights discussed in the conference titled ‘Summarizing the Work in 2023 and Implementing the Task of Developing Tourism in Hanoi City in 2024’. The event took place in the afternoon of January 19, organized by the Hanoi Tourism Department, and was attended by Nguyen Van Hung, a member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, as well as Nguyen Manh Quyen, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee.
During the conference, groups and individuals who made notable contributions to the development of Hanoi tourism in 2023 were recognized with certificates of merit from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (one collective, one individual, and an emulation flag), the Hanoi People’s Committee (15 collectives, and 21 individuals), and the Hanoi Tourism Department (four collectives, 14 individuals).
Diversification of tourism types
Building on the growth momentum of 2023, the Hanoi tourism industry sets new goals for 2024. The city aims to welcome around 27 million visitors, marking a 9.2% increase compared to the 2023 volume.
| Hanoi is a vibrant entertainment hub of Vietnam. Photo: Migo Travel |
This includes attracting 5.5 million international visitors (with 3.8 million overnight stays), a 16.4% rise compared to the previous year, and 21.5 million domestic visitors, representing a 7.5% increase. The total revenue generated from tourism is expected to reach about VND103.74 billion or over $4.2 million, an 11.1% increase from 2023. Additionally, the average room occupancy rate of accommodation establishments is projected to rise to 62%.
Talking about the remarkable results of the capital’s tourism industry last year, Dang Huong Giang, the Director of the Hanoi Tourism Department, emphasized that besides winning numerous international awards, Hanoi had established itself as a prominent destination on the domestic, regional, and international tourism map.
Giang stated that in 2024, Hanoi will continue to focus on sustainable and efficient development, positioning itself as the gateway that welcomes and connects tourists from the northern region as well as the whole country. The city aspires to be a ‘Safe – Friendly – Quality – Attractive’ destination. In addition, Hanoi’s efforts to develop new tourism products have effectively attracted visitors and enhanced the competitiveness of its destinations. This includes collaborating with localities to build inter-regional tourist routes, as well as developing products that link the inner city with suburban districts, notably the routes of Hanoi Center – Thanh Oai – Thanh Tri – Thuong Tin – Phu Xuyen, and Hanoi Center – Thanh Oai – Ung Hoa – My Duc.
| Foreign travelers in Hanoi. Photo: Hanoi Department of Tourism |
Speaking at the conference, Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung stressed the importance of innovation and renewal of products using existing resources for the further development of Hanoi’s tourism industry. As a tourism hub that serves as a distribution center and connects various localities, Hanoi should continue to strengthen regional connections and create attractive tours and tourist routes, while also leading the way in digital transformation in the tourism sector. He suggested that “The capital city of Hanoi should take the lead in MICE tourism, culinary tourism, and medical tourism.”
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen urged the Tourism Department, along with relevant departments and sectors, to integrate the planning of key tourist areas and clusters into the capital’s General Planning and General Construction Planning. He also emphasized the need to enhance the construction of large entertainment venues in the city, improve the quality of tourism statistics to shape policies, and promote efficient and sustainable tourism development.
Furthermore, Do Minh Tuan, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Soc Son district, mentioned plans to contribute to Hanoi’s tourism scene with a series of sports-related activities.
“Both domestic and foreign tourists from Hanoi center to Soc Son are flocking to the area on weekends. They are not only seeking relaxation but also the desire to explore nature and engage in physical activities. This represents great tourism potential that Hanoi needs to tap into,” Tuan stated.
Development of tourism products associated with heritage, monuments, and craft villages
| Exploiting heritage is one of the key focuses of Hanoi tourism in 2024. Photo: Lai Tan |
According to Phung Quang Thang, the Head of the Hanoi Travel Association, Hanoi possesses over 1,000 years of history and a rich cultural heritage, making it a great asset for developing tourism products associated with heritage.
“Hanoi is home to thousands of relics and craft villages, each deeply rooted in the history and culture of the local community. These are incredibly valuable resources for the Capital Tourism industry to create unique tourism products for each locality, catering to diverse domestic and international tourists,” he commented.
Hence, Hanoi recognizes the importance of nurturing heritage values to promote tourism and attract more local and international visitors in the upcoming years. With its abundant cultural resources, Hanoi’s heritage destinations have continually developed impressive and distinctive cultural products using their unique materials.
These efforts not only promote these destinations but also unleash the creativity derived from heritage resources, aligning with the goals set by the Hanoi Party Committee’s Resolution on “Developing the cultural industry in the capital from 2021 to 2025, with an orientation towards 2030 and a vision for 2045”.
|
The year 2023 was considered a prosperous year for the capital’s tourism industry, both in terms of promotion and new product development. The city received multiple awards from the World Travel Awards, including World’s Leading City Break Destination 2023, World’s Best Golf City Destination 2023, Asia’s Leading City Destination 2023, Asia’s Leading City Break Destination 2023, and Asia’s Leading City Tourist Board 2023. Additionally, The Travel Magazine ranked Hanoi among the 10 most beautiful destinations in Southeast Asia. Hanoi boasts 48 out of 103 Vietnamese restaurants selected by the Michelin Guides, the world’s most prestigious culinary guidebooks, including three 1-star restaurants. Recently, the World Culinary Awards named Hanoi as the ‘Asia’s Best Emerging Culinary City Destination 2023’. Right at the beginning of January, Hanoi was voted by users on the world’s largest travel platform, TripAdvisor, as the 3rd among the 20 Best Food Destinations, as well as the 17th among the 25 Popular Destinations in the world in 2023. |
Hanoi’s tourism affected by nCoV epidemic during Tet
The novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak caused certain negative impact on Hanoi’s tourism during the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday (Tet), according to the municipal Department of Tourism.
Hanoi Cathedral
Built in the 1780s, Hanoi Cathedral is considered a witness to great changes of the capital of Vietnam for three centuries. Today, it is not only the centre for catholic activities, but also a popular tourist site in the land of a thousand-year-old culture.
Hanoi remains a friendly-safe destination for foreign tourists despite coronavirus
Many enterprises operating in the tourism industry have acted together to keep Hanoi a welcoming and safe destination for foreign tourists despite Covid-19 fears.
Vietnam tourism unlikely to achieve annual targets, but recovery appears promising
The Covid-19 pandemic had a negative effect on the tourism industry in the first quarter of 2020, with the number of foreign tourists down 18.1 percent compared to the same period last year, making it difficult to achieve the growth targets set for the year.
Hanoi remains a friendly-safe destination for foreign tourists despite Covid-19
The Hanoitimes – Many enterprises operating in the tourism industry have acted together to keep Hanoi a welcoming and safe destination for foreign tourists despite Covid-19 fears.
