The Sai Gon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist) welcomed over 2,000 passengers and crewmembers, mostly from China, aboard the luxury cruise liner MV Henna for a tour of Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh on January 27.
This is the first time that any ship owned by China's Hainan Group has brought tourists to Vietnam. After contemplating the beauty of Ha Long Bay, which has been recognised twice as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage, the passengers visited Long Tien pagoda and enjoyed performances of water puppetry and traditional music. They also had an opportunity to taste Vietnamese traditional food and shopped at Bai Chay kermis.
The liner's visit was made under a co-operation programme between the Saigontourist and the Hainan Group. Under the programme, Saigontourist is expected to welcome the group's 52 cruise liners to Ha Long bay and Da Nang city between January and April this year.
In 2012, Saigontourist welcomed more than 96 luxury international cruise liners with over 170,000 tourists who took tours to Ha Long, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, an increase of 40% over 2011.