According to the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism, by December 15, as many as 51 international cruise ships had registered to take tourists to Ha Long Bay in 2024, compared to just two dozen in 2023.

The list includes cruise ships such as Viking Orion, Silver Muse, Celebrity Solstice, Silver Whisper, Le Lapouser, Seven Seas Explorer and the World.

Chinese cruise ship Zhao Shang Yi Dun which arrived in Ha Long in November will return in 2024 at least eight times. This has shown positive signs for the recovery of Chinese tours to Vietnam after the pandemic.

Ha Long is expected to welcome up to six cruise ships in the first days of 2024.

Ha Long Bay is seen as a convenient destination for foreign shipping companies as it is located on an important maritime traffic route in Asia. It is also the nearest point of access to other Northern Asian markets such as Taiwan (China), South Korea and Japan.

Tourists on cruise ships to Ha Long often combine to visit other destinations in the north such as Hanoi and Ninh Binh for 1-2 days.

However, to attract more tourists, Ha Long needs to diversify its tourism products, particularly in the areas of culture and history, representatives from travel firms suggested.

Besides tours to households in Van Don Island, the same tours have also been launched in Bang Ca Commune in Ha Long City.

Source: Dtinews