Ha Noi welcomed 270,000 domestic tourists and 70,083 foreign tourists during the nine-day lunar New Year holiday (February 15-23), up 8 percent from the same period last year.
According to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, tourism revenues reached nearly 950 billion VND (44.65 million USD) in the period.
During the festival, numerous events were organised to introduce the traditional culture of the city and Viet Nam at large, including fireworks performance, exhibitions and fairs. Travel agencies also offered tourists a number of options to attractive destinations in the city.
The department said that the image of the capital city has been increasingly improved in the eyes of visitors. Together with promotion activities, the city has developed a wide range of products and services to attract more visitors.
It is working to turn the Ba Vi-Suoi Hai site into a national tourist centre and develop community-based tourism in seven mountainous villages in Ha Noi’s outlying district of Ba Vi.
Attention has also been paid to conserving relic sites like Ngoc Son temple on Hoan Kiem lake, Hoa Lo prison and the Temple of Literature, and protecting the environment and ensuring safety for tourists.
The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has intensified cooperation with the Departments of Transport, and Industry and Trade, and the Police to improve the quality of tourist services, ensure food safety and prevent unlicensed taxis and cheating acts.
In 2014, Ha Noi welcomed 3 million tourists, a 16 percent increase from 2013.