A ceremony was held at Hop Thinh Port of Cua Viet township, Gio Linh district, to welcome the visitors, many of whom are from the US, Canada, and Australia. 

This is also the first time the Panorama II has docked in Quang Tri.

During their one-day stay, the tourists are scheduled to visit the special national historical relic site of Vinh Moc Tunnels in Vinh Linh district – once a bomb shelter for locals during wartime. They are also due to visit Ta Con Airport in Huong Hoa district – previously a military base for US troops.

The group is also provided with information about local cultural identities, famous landscapes, and other renowned relic sites, including Hien Luong Bridge on Ben Hai River that was used as the dividing line between northern and southern Vietnam, Quang Tri Ancient Citadel which witnessed fierce battles, and the national cemeteries of Road 9 and Truong Son which are home to the graves of over 20,000 martyrs.

Before setting foot in Quang Tri, the tourist delegation had already visited central Da Nang city.

Quang Tri aims to attract about 2 million visitors in 2019, including around 175,000 foreigners and earning some 1.74 trillion VND (75 million USD) from the industry.

Last year, it welcomed 1.82 million visitors, up over 10 percent from 2017; as well as raked in over 1.62 trillion VND (69.9 million USD) in tourism revenue, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.–VNA