VietNamNet Bridge – Tourism is currently a strong economic sector for Hanoi. The capital is focusing on raising the quality of tours, creating more new tourism products and improving the tourism environment in order to help this industry develop sustainably and become a ‘green industry’.

Foreign visitors on Ma May pedestrian street in Hoan Kiem District -- Photo: NDO

More tours, more products

Vietnam received nearly eight million international visitors in 2015, including 3.3 million visiting Hanoi, bringing the city’s tourism revenue to more than VND50 trillion (over US$2.2 billion). The figure has exceeded the targets of 3.2 million and VND43 trillion (over US$1.9 billion) from tourism by 2020 that was set in the capital’s tourism development plan for 2020, with a vision to 2030.

Numerous world famous travel magazines have listed Hanoi among the most attractive destinations in the world and the Asia-Pacific region.

Hanoi has rich tourism resources, particularly heritages and traditional trade villages. The city has made continuous innovations in recent years to exploit these resources, including tourism activities in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Previously, Hanoi only had four walking streets on the Hang Dao-Dong Xuan route. However in 2014, the capital piloted six additional walking streets: Hang Buom, Ma May, Hang Giay, Luong Ngoc Quyen, Ta Hien and Dao Duy Tu.

Walking around the ten pedestrian streets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights every week, visitors can enjoy numerous traditional arts performances including ‘xam’ singing (ballads sung by wandering blind musicians) and ‘ca tru’ (ceremonial singing) at Quan De Temple at 28 Hang Buom Street and Kim Ngan Temple at 42 Hang Bac Street. In addition, several outdoor spaces have been reserved for free traditional and contemporary arts performance.

The pedestrian streets have become ‘multinational streets’ with the appearance of numerous visitors from many countries around the world. Andrew Johnson, a tourist from the UK, said “My friends and I are very interested in walking the pedestrian streets at nights. We can experience the local culture and enjoy Vietnamese food”.

Currently, Hanoi has nearly 1,400 trade villages, of which nearly 250 have been recognised as traditional villages with valuable handicrafts products such as Van Phuc silk, Bat Trang pottery, Quat Dong embroidery, Phu Vinh rattan, Ha Thai lacquer and Son Dong statuary. In order to promote tourism, the city has organised Tourism Trade Village Festivals on the occasion of the anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation Day over the past three years. The events serve as dialogue channels between travel businesses and artisans. Regarding heritage tourism, key relic sites, including Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature), Huong Pagoda and Soc temple, have received large investments.

In early 2016, Hanoi Tourism Department held a programme entitled ‘Memory of Hanoi’ at the Thang Long Royal Citadel, reproducing the traditional cultural identities of Hanoians. The highlights of the programme were installations on ancient streets, introduction of traditional handicrafts through the skillful techniques of artisans from trade streets, folk games and a market introducing ancient objects.

In addition, during the 2016 Vietnam International Tourism Mart (VITM) in April, the Hanoi Department of Tourism organised a conference themed ‘Introducing tourism destinations in Hanoi’, highlighting the visitors’ experience of activities in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and ancient villages.

Despite remarkable development, Hanoi’s tourism has not met its potential, particularly trade village tourism. Visitors often stay in Hanoi for two days and one night, then move to other destinations in the country. Coming to Quat Dong embroidery village, visitors are very confused because there are no spaces for displaying and introducing products, no signposts and no food and drink service and they do not know where to meet artisans. The same things have happened in many other trade villages including Son Dong statuary, Ha Thai lacquer and Chuong conical hat villages.

Travel companies have always taken tourists to Van Phuc silk and Bat Trang pottery villages. However, even these two key trade villages have many limitations. Nguyen Hoang Phuong, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, complained, “When visiting Bat Trang, we felt uncomfortable due to unsettled parking and lack of signposts; it was very difficult for us to visit a site or meet with any artisans”.

Discussing this problem, Director of Hanoi Tourism Department Do Dinh Hong said that the biggest problem facing Hanoi is how to keep tourists staying longer. In addition to developing old tours, it is necessary to organise new tours, particularly those along the Red River as well as around West Lake to enjoy Quang An lotus tea, valley of flowers, and boat sailing services on the lake, along with promoting resort tourism products in Ba Vi and Son Tay districts and improve the services’ quality.

The department has also recommended the city and districts focus on investment in priority tourism products. Regarding trade villages, the department is co-ordinating with relevant agencies to propose the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee consider and synchronously invest in infrastructure in Bat Trang and Van Phuc villages.

Creating a friendly and safe environment

In early April, three English visitors to Hanoi notified the Tourism Department of the fact they were cheated out of money. The next day, the active investigation of relevant agencies helped them receive their lost money. Earlier, two tourists from Belarus were also refunded money after they were cheated. In addition, police in Ba Dinh, Tay Ho and Hoan Kiem districts have actively contributed to handling difficulties for tourists.

According to director Do Dinh Hong, it is essential to enhance communication to help people understand that the increase of the number of visitors will bring profits to not only travel businesses but also local people and many other branches. Positive changes in people’s behaviour will contribute to attracting more tourists.

Hanoi has chosen 2016 as the year for promoting positive urban attitudes. The city’s authorities are implementing urgent tasks including improving public spaces and hygiene, and maintaining order as well as focusing on promoting a positive urban lifestyle, contributing to creating a friendly environment for all people, particularly visitors.

The capital has set a target of welcoming 21.165 million visitors in 2016, including nearly 3.8 million foreigners, and bringing in over VND60 trillion (nearly US$2.7 billion) from the tourism industry. In the first three months of this year, the number of international tourists to Hanoi reached 1.04 million.

In order to make breakthrough development steps, the city is investing in a ‘special tourism zone’ in Dong Anh District as well as building a favourable legal framework to call for investors. The innovations are expected to help Hanoi’s tourism sector reach breakthroughs to become spearhead economic sector, bringing high profits to the capital.

Nhan Dan