Hanoi promotes tourism through cultural and artistic events

Hanoi’s tourism industry is expected to execute a busy cultural and artistic agenda in the last months of 2022 to attract international visitors, thereby contributing to realizing the target of welcoming five million foreign visitors to Vietnam this year.

Hanoi has been listed among the 12 best places worldwide to travel this fall by the US's CNN Travel. Photos: Ngoc Tu

Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang said that in the coming time, the city will hold the Ao Dai (traditional long dress) festival together with some South Korean events to celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and South Korea this month.

“Through organizing many cultural and artistic events, the capital’s tourism industry expects to help travel businesses to lure more international visitors,” said Giang.

According to the Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association. Vu The Binh, the recent reduction in airfares by local airlines will lead to a reduction in tour prices by 10-20% compared to the peak summer season. This also helps the tourism industry attract more international tourists to Vietnam during the season. More foreign travelers are expected to come to the country during the year-end season.

“However, in addition to the drop in airfares, cultural and artistic events are necessary to make inbound tourism thrive,” he emphasized.

Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said that this month, the country will participate in the Tourism EXPO Japan (JATA) in Tokyo, and the World Travel Market (WTM) in the UK  to promote national tourist destinations, including Hanoi.

“The period between  September and April will be the peak of travel to Vietnam. Attending international tourism fairs will contribute to reaching the goal of welcoming five million international visitors set by the tourism industry,” said Khanh.

Building fall tours in Hanoi

Autumn in Hanoi is the very “specialty” of the capital city.

Autumn in Hanoi is the true “specialty” of the capital city, especially after the city has been listed among the 12 best places worldwide to travel this fall by the US's CNN Travel. According to a CNN article recommending these destinations, Asia tourism as a whole has been the slowest to bounce back, but Vietnam "is the real bright spot right now.” It said Autumn in the capital city is drier and cooler and has plenty to keep foodies satiated.  

However, Hanoi tourism lacks typical autumn tours to attract domestic and international tourists, according to local insiders.

General Director of AZA Travel Nguyen Tien Dat told The Hanoi Times that special fall-winter tours will be built to make up for this shortcoming.

“We will focus on revamping double-decker bus service and develop tours for the ripe rice season in the suburbs.”

Discussing the solution to build a tourism brand in Hanoi’s fall, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, Phung Quang Thang, said that a “Hanoi Autumn Tourism Campaign” should be built.

"Some annual autumn events should be held in Hanoi, something like the coastal city Danang's fireworks festival style or the northern province's Ha Giang buckwheat flower festival," he told The Hanoi Times.

Hanoi Department of Tourism is encouraging localities and tourism businesses to add new tourism products to the offer. Besides, organizing a number of events to attract domestic and international tourists is also a focus, its director Dang Huong Giang said.

In August, Hanoi welcomed about 156,000 international visitors, bringing the total number of visitors in the first eight months to more than 580,000. Total revenue from tourists was estimated at VND35.9 trillion (US$1.53 billion), up 4.4 times year on year.

In comparison to the plan set by the city earlier this year, the capital’s tourism industry has fulfilled the goal of earning total revenue of VND27.8-35.8 trillion ($1.2-1.5 billion).