Ngoc Son Temple attracts foreign visitors. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Price of Travel has named Hanoi as the cheapestAsian city for backpackers, which, the tourism price index website, said getshigh marks from most visitors.
In the Asia Backpacker Index for 2019, the website said “the food is also top-notch, especially when you are sitting amongstlocals at one of the thousands of plastic-chair cafes throughout the city.”
“Keep costs even lower by sticking with BiaHoi, the world's cheapest beer.Hostel beds are cheap, but private rooms are too, so don't automatically book abunk.”
Cheap price is an advantage that helps attract holiday-makers to thecapital city. However, experts said, sustainable tourism development requiresmore than that. What is more importantis diverse and quality products and services to keep tourists staying longer,spending more money and coming back to the city.
Given this, the city’s tourism sector is consistently pursuing long-term andsustainable strategies.
Apart from cultural and historical values, rich cuisine and hospitable people,Hanoi has focused on developing high-quality tourism products and upgradinglocal infrastructure.
Hanoi received more than 2.4 million tourists inJanuary, a year-on-year increase of 10.4 percent, according to the municipalDepartment of Tourism.
Of the figure, international arrivals to thecapital city reached nearly 634,000, up 16 percent compared to the same periodlast year. Those who stayed overnight in the city numbered 445,000, mainly fromthe Republic of Korea, China and Japan, according to local accommodationservice providers.
Meanwhile, domestic holidaymakers amounted to1.7 million, an increase of 8.5 percent.
Total tourism revenue was estimated to surge34.2 percent year on year to 8.89 trillion VND (383.3 million USD).
Hanoi welcomed 5.74 million foreign visitors in2018, up 16 percent against 2017, among 26 million tourists spending timein the city.
Last year, the city was ranked 12th among the 25best global destinations, and one of the two cities in Vietnam to enter themost prominent group in the world in terms of room reservation.
Hanoi’s key tourism markets include China, theRepublic of Korea, Japan, France, the US, the UK, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia,Singapore and Canada.
Some of the popular destinations in the city arethe Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh, the Temple of Literature and NationalUniversity (Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam), the Hanoi Old Quarter, Thang LongImperial Citadel, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple.
The city aims to greet 6.7 million foreignvisitors out of nearly 28.6 million tourists in 2019.-VNA
VNA
