Hanoi(VNA) – The 2-million-USD deal between Hanoi and the US television network CNNfrom 2017 – 2018 has spurred international tourist arrivals to the capital cityover the past year.

TV commercialsaired by CNN have been introducing the best of the 1,000-year-old capital topeople around the world since early 2017, sparking an interest in the city amongforeigners.

Last year, CNNbroadcasted two TV promotional videos – “Hanoi – Heart of Vietnam” and “Hanoi –Cradle of Heritage” on its cable television network and online platforms acrossAsia-Pacific, North America, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. Bothvideos feature Australian travel writer and blogger Phoebe Lee exploring thecity’s most popular attractions.

Audience canexperience the charms of Hanoi through the lens of local photographers on CNN’s#MyHanoi series and also see the capital city from a different point of view onthe network’s Hanoi POV programme.

In 2018, “Hanoi –Heart of Vietnam” and “Hanoi – Cradle of Heritage” will continue to be aired byCNN alongside the newly-released ad “Hanoi – History, Culture, People.”

These promotionalclips have had an impact on the public. A recent survey by the UK’s researchconsultancy, BDRC Continental, showed 62 percent of CNN viewers remember thepromotional videos about Hanoi. Among them, 94 percent said they developed aninterest in Hanoi as a holiday destination. The survey also found that 17percent of the respondents who regularly watched CNN would be likely to travelto Hanoi, higher than non-regular viewers.

Hanoi has beenwelcoming an increasing number of holidaymakers. In 2017, international touristarrivals to the city were estimated at 4.95 million, up 23 percent from theprevious year and 15 percent higher than its yearly target. The number included3.53 million accommodated visitors, a year-on-year increase of 22 percent.

In the first halfof this year, the capital received more than 3 million foreign arrivals,including more than 2.2 million accommodated tourists, up 26 percent and 27percent, respectively, year-on-year.

Hanoi has alsobeen well-received by overseas travel firms and magazines. The onlinemarketplace and hospitality service Airbnb has named the city among the world’stop 10 intriguing travel destinations in 2018 while the city made it to thelist of the world’s top 13 destinations for international travellers in Marchbased on a poll by readers of the US-based Business Insider magazine.

With average temperatures ranging from 18 to 23 degreesCelsius and colourful flowers blooming, Hanoi is a good place for visitors tospend time roaming around the old quarter, experiencing open-air eateries, andhearing the noise of whizzing motorbikes, Business Insider said. Hoan Kiem Lake providesa peaceful respite from the frenzy, as do numerous Buddhist temples and pagodas, it added.

Earlier thisyear, Hanoi also secured 12th place on the TripAdvisor list of theworld’s top 25 destinations.

In June, thecapital city claimed the Best Marketing Campaign Award for its innovativemarketing campaign on CNN between 2017 and 2018 at the 8th Tourism PromotionOrganisation for Asia-Pacific Cities Forum held in Ho Chi Minh City.

The localDepartment of Tourism has proposed the city to expand the deal with CNN to 2019– 2021. –VNA