Hanoi to develop more night-time travel experiences to attract foreign tourists

By Phuong Anh January 7, 2023 | 02:23 am PT

Foreign tourists celebrate New Year on Ta Hien beer street in downtown Hanoi, December 31, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Hanoi will increase night-time tourism activities and develop adventurous tours such as helicopter and hot air balloon rides to meet its target of attracting 3 million foreign tourists this year, officials said.

Dang Huong Giang, director of Hanoi’s Department of Tourism, said it will offer more night-time tourism services around the Hoan Kiem pedestrian zone and the walking street in the Son Tay Ancient Citadel, 40 kilometers from downtown Hanoi.

Hanoi has already launched a series of night tours at Hoa Lo Prison and Thang Long Imperial Citadel for foreign tourists. It has also opened a night food hub in the Dao Ngoc-Ngu Xa area along the Truc Bach peninsula, an expat area in Hanoi.

Tourism officials said the night tours would encourage foreigners to prolong their visit to Hanoi, and also spend more money.

Hanoi also plans to focus on developing new kinds of tourism experiences such as adventure sports, helicopter and hot air balloon rides as well as launching new tours to take foreigners to traditional craft villages like Bat Trang, which is famous for its centuries-old pottery.

Last year, Hanoi received 1.5 million foreign tourists, down four times against 2019, the year before the outbreak of Covid-19.