Hanoi will continue to intensify tourism promotion on foreign TV channels, mobile apps, and social media as stated in the local government's project on developing investment, trade, and tourism in the coming time.

Accordingly, the city continues to strengthen communication activities, such as broadcasting advertisements on CNN and other international media, websites, and social networking platforms (Youtube, Facebook) with the message "Hanoi - Come to love" and "Hanoi - A safe and attractive tourist destination."

The Huc Bridge - a small bridge over Hoan Kiem Lake to enter the Ngoc Son Temple in Hanoi. Photo: Vinh Pham/The Hanoi Times

By 2023, the capital city expects to advertise itself as an attractive tourist destination in the region and the world, while boosting promotion in major markets through national and international tourism fairs, including Southeast Asia, Japan, Europe, and North America, among others.

Under the plan, Hanoi also looks to develop MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition) and progressively adopt the application of information technology in tourism management and implement smart tourism. The municipal authorities will support businesses and take note of their opinions.

Besides, the municipal authorities coordinate with embassies and representative agencies of Vietnam abroad for Hanoi’s tourism promotion.

The city also focuses on the sustainable development of tourism, restructuring the tourism industry in terms of infrastructure, environment, business, and products to effectively exploit tangible and intangible values, making Hanoi's tourism a leading economic sector.

According to the municipal Department of Tourism, in 2023, Hanoi targets to welcome about 22 million visitors, an increase of 17.6% year-on-year, including 3 million foreign arrivals and 19 million domestic visitors. It is expected that the total revenue from tourists in 2023 will reach about VND77 trillion (nearly US$3.3 billion), a rise of 28.2% compared to 2022.

To achieve the above-mentioned goal, Hanoi focuses on improving the quality of tourism products and tourism destinations associated with heritage relics, craft villages in the districts, including pottery villages in Bat Trang (Gia Lam district), Huong Son (My Duc district), and the outlying districts of Thach That-Quoc Oai and Son Tay-Ba Vi.

In 2016, Hanoi signed a US$1 million deal with CNN to broadcast the city's stories on the channel. The program was subsequently extended for 2019-2024.

Accordingly, CNN will broadcast 30- or 60-second promotional clips and 30-minute programs covering various aspects of the city, from the history, lifestyle, and people to the architecture and technological development, as part of the advertising campaign on Hanoi.

This campaign proved effective as it helped increase CNN viewers’ awareness of Hanoi by 86% in 2017, and 91% in 2018, according to BDRC Continental, one of the UK’s largest independent research consulting firms.