A German man named Kux Timo touched down on Hanoi in early morning of January 1, becoming the first foreign holidaymaker to arrive in the capital city this year, signaling a good year for the local tourism industry. At a ceremony held at Noi Bai International Airport to welcome the first guests, Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Tran Duc Hai highlighted Hanoi’s advantages to attract foreign visitors such as rich millenary culture, high quality tourism services and hospitality.

Hanoi has become an appealing international destination, with foreign tourist arrivals rising year after year. The World Travel Awards (WTA) has nominated the city among the 17 top cities for travellers in the world.

With the welcome ceremony, the local government wishes to convey the message that Hanoi is always a safe, hospitable and attractive destination.

Speaking at the event, the lucky guest expressed his delight in being warmly welcomed. He has travelled to Vietnam frequently over the past six years for both business and leisure purposes, and has been impressed with the beauty and friendliness of the capital city.

Besides Hanoi, Kux Timo has explored Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An with much joy. He expects to return to Hanoi and other Vietnamese localities many times more in the future.

Hanoi targets to welcome 27.83 million visitors this year, representing a 10% increase from 2018. Of the total, the number of foreign arrivals is expected to increase 15% year-on-year to 6.33 million.