3,000 tourists arrive in Ha Long on five-star cruise ship

By VNA October 18, 2024 | 03:25 pm PT

Costa Serena cruise ship in Ha Long Bay, Sept. 30, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Le Tan

Italy's five-star cruise ship Costa Serena docked at Ha Long International Passenger Port in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Friday, bringing 3,040 tourists from Hong Kong to Ha Long, home to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognized world natural heritage.

This is the second time in 2024 that the ship, famous for its voyages across Asia, has brought tourists to Ha Long on the Hong Kong - Ha Long and Ha Long - Hong Kong routes.

The tourists are scheduled to have interesting experiences at the world natural wonder of Ha Long Bay, visit Quang Ninh Museum and tourist attractions, and take a city tour to explore the local culture and cuisine.

Earlier this month, it also brought nearly 3,500 Chinese tourists to visit Ha Long, marking the beginning of the peak international tourism season.

According to the provincial Department of Tourism, Quang Ninh has welcomed 42 international cruise ships with more than 50,000 tourists so far this year.

In the remaining months of the year, it expects 13 more cruise ships to bring more than 15,000 visitors to the locality. The Costa Serena cruise is scheduled to return to Ha Long three more times.

On Oct. 21, cruise ship Viking Orion is expected to bring over 1,000 European visitors to Ha Long, helping Quang Ninh fulfill its yearly target of 3 million international visitors.