Ha Long port greets first Chinese cruise ship this year
VOV.VN - Chinese-flagged cruise ship Zhao Shang Yi Dun became the first vessel of its kind to dock at the Ha Long International Cruise Port in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh on November 28, with the ship carrying more than 700 tourists on board.
This marks the first cruise ship to bring passengers from the Chinese market to Ha Long city this year.
Upon arrival visitors were given the chance to explore a number of famous local tourist attractions throughout both Hanoi and Ha Long City.
They then tour the UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay in one day before then leaving for the central city of Da Nang and Hong Kong (China).
The Chinese cruise ship is scheduled to return to Ha Long a total of 14 times, taking up to 12,000 arrivals to the city until March, 2024.
Quang Ninh was one of the very first localities to open its doors to tourists back in 2022, attracting around 11.6 million visitors. Among them, the province served over 300,000 foreigners, up 508%, and 11.2 million domestic tourists, up 160.6% compared to 2021 when the nation was hit hard by COVID-19.
The province’s total tourism revenue in 2022 stood at an estimated figure of over VND22.5 trillion, nearly doubling what was recorded in 2021.
The locality is aiming to serve 14 million tourists, including two million foreigners, earning some VND27 trillion from tourism throughout the year.
China resumed international tourism activities in January after nearly three years of COVID-19 lockdowns. Zhao Shang Yi Dun has therefore become the first cruise taking Chinese tourists to Ha Long since the northern neighbour reopened its borders to tourists earlier this year.
