The user interface of the site (Photo: tourism.hanoi.gov.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – The HanoiDepartment of Tourism has debuted a new bilingual portal where tourists canfind all the information they need for a trip to the Vietnamese capital.
The site http://tourism.hanoi.gov.vn offers tourism information and services in Vietnamese and English and helpsconnect users with accredited service providers.
The move is part of the department’s effortsto build Hanoi into a safe, friendly and civilised tourist destination.
Earlier, a 2-million-USD deal between Hanoiand the US television network CNN from 2017 – 2018 has spurred internationaltourist arrivals to the capital city. TV commercials aired by CNN have been introducingthe best of the 1,000-year-old capital to people around the world since early2017.
In 2017, international tourist arrivals tothe city were estimated at 4.95 million, up 23 percent on year and 15 percenthigher than its yearly target. The number included 3.53 million accommodatedvisitors, an annual increase of 22 percent.
In the first half of 2018, the capitalreceived more than 3 million foreign arrivals, including more than 2.2 millionaccommodated tourists, up 26 percent and 27 percent, respectively,year-on-year. Foreign visitors came from 190 countries and territoriesworldwide.
Overall, in January-June, tourist arrivalsto the city topped 13.19 million, up 10 percent against 2017, pushing uprevenue by 9.3 percent annually to 39.2 trillion VND (1.74 billion USD).
This year, Hanoi aims to welcome more than25.4 million tourists, including 5.5 million foreigners.
Thi city has been well-received by overseastravel firms and magazines. The online marketplace and hospitality serviceAirbnb named it among the world’s top 10 intriguing travel destinations in 2018while Hanoi was listed among the the world’s top 13 destinations forinternational travellers in March based on a poll by readers of the US-basedBusiness Insider magazine.
Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a good place forvisitors to spend time roaming around, experiencing open-air eateries andhearing the noise of whizzing motorbikes, Business Insider said. Hoan Kiem Lakeprovides a peaceful respite from the frenzy, as do numerous Buddhist templesand pagodas, it added.-VNA
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