The Hanoi Times spoke to Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Tourism Department, about their plans for the peak tourist season in Hanoi.

The Hanoi Times' reporter talks with Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi's Department of Tourism. Photo: Thanh Nhan/The Hanoi Times

Autumn is the most beautiful season of the year and a great time to visit Hanoi. Could you tell us how Hanoi has made its tourism products attractive to welcome tourists in autumn 2024?

Autumn in Hanoi is the most romantic time of the year, chosen by many tourists as the time to experience and explore the emotions of Hanoi. In 2022, Hanoi was selected as one of the "12 top autumn destinations" in the world for tourists to visit.

Hanoi on an autumn day. Photo: Ngoc Anh

Autumn is the most beautiful season of the year and a great time to visit Hanoi. Could you tell us how Hanoi has made its tourism products attractive to welcome tourists in autumn 2024?

Autumn in Hanoi is the most romantic time of the year, chosen by many tourists as the time to experience and explore the emotions of Hanoi. In 2022, Hanoi was selected as one of the "12 top autumn destinations" in the world for tourists to visit.

Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi's Department of Tourism. Photo: Thanh Nhan/The Hanoi Times

Hanoi in autumn is incredibly charming and eager to welcome tourists with tempting travel offers.

First of all, major events, festivals, tourism festivals, traditional festivals, and special celebrations are held on a large scale. These are the Tourism Gift Festival in August, the Hanoi Autumn Festival in September, the Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival, and the Monsoon Music Festival in October. The traditional Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere on the full moon day of the 8th lunar month will recreate a bustling, impressive street atmosphere, especially in the Old Quarter.

The legendary Hoan Kiem Lake on an autumn day. Photo: Yeu Ha Noi Group

In particular, activities to celebrate the National Day on September 2 will take place in late August and early September, and October will see a concentration of e celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the capital, culminating on the night of October 9 with fireworks in 30 locations.

In addition, visitors can admire Hanoi by city tour bus in downtown streets in Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, and Tay Ho, or Hoan Kiem - Bat Trang, by cruise ship on the Red River, or by tourist bicycle. You can also experience night tourism products at historical and cultural heritage sites such as Hoa Lo Prison Relic, Temple of Literature, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Ngoc Son Temple, Vietnamese Literature Museum, Vietnamese Women's Museum or The Quintessence of Tonkin Show at Tuan Chau Hanoi eco-tourism area. 

Many new cultural and culinary walking routes in Ba Dinh District and Hai Ba Trung District will be launched on this occasion. The craft village tourist route named "South Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Road" from the capital center will take tourists to six southern districts of Hanoi, or the community-based tourism product of the "tight-trouser" Dao people's traditional medicine village in Ba Vi District.

Young sticky rice - a Hanoi autumn specialty. Photo: Ngoc Tu/The Hanoi Times

Enjoying Hanoi's autumn cuisine with traditional Hanoi autumn snacks such as green rice flakes, "baked" and "sticky rice" mooncakes, egg coffee, Hanoi pho, West Lake shrimp cakes will make guests' travel days in Hanoi truly unforgettable. They can also enjoy a variety of distinctive traditional Vietnamese and international cuisines in a system of quality restaurants and first-class hotels.

What about Hanoi's potential for nightlife activities? Could you introduce some highlight programs?

Compared with other places, Hanoi has many advantages in developing night tourism. The city has an infrastructure system connecting tourist destinations, making it convenient for tourists to wander around. Besides, the capital is also home to many restaurants and shopping malls.

Hanoi also boasts a huge amount of heritage, monuments, and unique cultural and artistic values that cannot be found anywhere else. All these factors combine to make the chic and unique capital city of Vietnam.

An artistic performance to celebrate the Autumn Festival in 2023. Photo: Suc khoe & Doi song

Recently, many tourism products have been launched in Hanoi, including "Decoding the Thang Long Imperial Citadel" night tour at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, "Sacred Night - Glorious Vietnamese Spirit" at the Hoa Lo Prison Relic Site, and "Essence of Education" at the Temple of Literature.

In particular, the Hoan Kiem pedestrian street and surrounding area are considered a "must-see" destination in Hanoi, where visitors can enjoy a vibrant nightlife, great draft beer, and street food.

Currently, the Hanoi Department of Tourism is actively building a series of unique night tourism products for locals, domestic and foreign travelers.

Q: Hanoi has been nominated in three categories for the 2024 World Travel Awards, including Asia's Leading City Break Destinations and Asia's Leading City Destinations. What do these nominations mean for the promotion of Hanoi tourism?

Hanoi St. Joseph's Cathedral. Photo: Yeu Ha Noi Group

Hanoi's nominations in major categories of the World Travel Awards not only confirm the city's strong and prominent place in the global tourism scene but also provide an opportunity to promote Hanoi's travel industry to a global audience.

Based on the results achieved, the capital's tourism sector is constantly developing attractive tourism products. In particular, the constant revision of advertising and marketing strategies, the development of a separate, appealing product group for each market, and improved access to information for tourists are important solutions.

Accordingly, we are strengthening the promotion of golf tourism, sports tourism, and wellness tourism products for the Northeast Asian market; cultural tourism, night tourism, and gastronomy tourism products for the North American and EU markets; and shopping tourism, festival tourism, and eco-tourism products for the domestic market.

Egg-coffee, a Hanoi delicacy. Photo: Giang Dinh

To ensure the best outreach, travel promotion programs and festivals will be organized throughout the year, rather than focusing on specific periods. Digital transformation will be intensified, marketing campaigns will be diversified, and Hanoi tourism will be showcased on social networking platforms and promoted on domestic and international media channels. Links with tour operators and tourism promotion associations will be strengthened at major international tourism fairs in Japan, France, the UK, and other countries where Hanoi City participates.

Thank you for your time!