The number of international visitors to Hanoi in the first nine months of 2023 has exceeded the annual target, the Hanoi Department of Tourism reported.

International visitors at Hoan Kiem Lake - the heart of the capital city. Photos: Hoai Nam/ The Hanoi Times

Among the arrivals, international tourists are estimated at 3.2 million, a fourfold increase compared to the same period in 2022, while the number of domestic tourists hit around 15.7 million, a 20.2% year-on-year increase.

The total tourism revenue reached about VND69.3 trillion (US$2.85 billion), an increase of 66.9% year-on-year. The average occupancy rate of accommodation across all categories was 61%, up 27% year-on-year.

In January-September, Hanoi was consistently rated highly by international tourism organizations and ranked among the most attractive destinations in the world. The city was once again recognized as the leading destination in Asia for 2023 on September 6.

These results are due to the industry's development of new destinations and tourism products, and the organization of diverse and attractive tourism activities that appeal to domestic and international tourists," said Dang Huong Giang, Director of the Hanoi Tourism Department.

"Promotion and advertising activities have been intensified to promote the image of Hanoi tourism to visitors," she stressed.

Hanoi Tourism Department is exploring and implementing new forms of tourism, taking advantage of local strengths. Sports tourism in Soc Son District, community-based health tourism in Ba Vi and Soc Son Districts, and hot air balloon tourism in Tay Ho District, Long Bien District, and Son Tay Town are some of the signature tour packages recently introduced in the capital city.

The city has also completed the planning of tourism zones and accelerated key tourism development projects in Ba Vi, Huong Son - Quan Son, Soc Mountain - Dong Quan Lake, and Van Tri - Co Loa. Furthermore, the city has improved its road systems to increase accessibility to tourist destinations and infrastructure to support tourism activities.

Giang said her department is intensifying its tourism communication through digital platforms, websites, social media platforms (YouTube, Facebook, TikTok), and other appropriate online advertising methods to create a wide outreach and attract visitors to the capital with the consistent message of "Hanoi - Come to Love" and "Hanoi - Safe, Friendly, High-Quality and Attractive Tourism Destination".

However, she added, there are still challenges in tourism infrastructure, such as accommodation and tourism services, which are not synchronized and of uneven quality.

There is a shortage of high-quality accommodation to host large international events and high-spending tourist groups, in addition to a lack of tourist areas, entertainment parks, weekend resorts, and specialized national and international level parks. "The city will gradually address these issues in the coming period," the head of the tourism agency said.

Record-breaking tourist arrivals in Vietnam

Hanoi is a coveted travel destination for both domestic and foreign visitors.

In the first nine months of the year, three major cities of Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City, and Quang Ninh Province, among other localities, are the biggest contributors to the growth of the country's revenue from travel and accommodation services, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). Total revenue was estimated at VND526.6 trillion ($21.7 billion).

In the same period, Vietnam hosted 8.9 million visitors, exceeding the target of 8 million for the whole year and 4.7 times higher than the same period last year, representing a 69% increase compared to the same period in 2019.

The majority of visitors to Vietnam came by air, with over 7.7 million arrivals, followed by road and sea, with over 1 million and 64,000 arrivals, respectively.

The top markets with the highest number of visitors to Vietnam in the first three quarters of this year were the US (over 548,000 arrivals), Japan (over 414,000), Thailand (over 351,000), Malaysia (over 333,000), Cambodia (over 283,000), and Australia (over 283,000).

In the first nine months of the year, Vietnam saw growth in arrivals from more than 30 international source markets, with the number of visitors from these markets increasing from two to 14 times compared to the same period last year, the GSO said.

China had the highest growth rate, sending over 1.12 million visitors to Vietnam, 14 times higher than the same period last year, although it was only 28% higher than the same period before the pandemic.

Vu The Binh, chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said the more open visa policy makes traveling to Vietnam more convenient.

"This is one of the reasons why the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam has been steadily increasing in recent months. The peak season for international visitors to Vietnam is usually from October to March every year. Therefore, Vietnam can raise the target to welcome at least 10-12 million international tourists in 2023," he predicted.