Chinese tourists travel to Vietnam by charter train

Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) has welcomed 400 Chinese tourists entering through Lao Cai International Border Gate. This is the largest group of Chinese tourists since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic and is also the first chartered train in the cooperation program between Lao Cai Department of Tourism and the Railway industry. Vietnam Spirit Travel

Accordingly, on the evening of November 21, the Chinese tourist group arrived at Lao Cai station to board the train to Hanoi. From Hanoi station, the group will travel by train to destinations such as Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan, and Saigon. After that, the group will return to Lao Cai to enter China through the Lao Cai International Border Gate, ending the 13-day train tour.

"Welcoming a large number of Chinese tourists by train is one of the initial results of the Railway industry and Lao Cai Department of Tourism after many efforts to promote and advertise in China in recent times. Hopefully, in the future, there will be more international tourists exploring Vietnam in general and Lao Cai in particular by train" VNR authorites emphasized.

According to VNR statistics, this year, the Railway sector has coordinated with travel and tourism companies to organize 16 charter trains, with a total of 7,000 passengers. Of these, 12 trains travel from Hanoi - Saigon - Hanoi and 4 depart from Lao Cai.

Source: https://vietnamspirittravel.com/travel-news/vietnam-railways-welcomes-largest-group-of-chinese-tourists-since-covid-19.asp

Bac Hai - Ha Long cruise route reopened after 16 years

On the morning of November 18, the Blue Dream Melody cruise ship on the Bac Hai - Ha Long route returned to Quang Ninh, initially showing the positive effects of the newly opened Ha Long (Vietnam) - Bac Hai (China) sea tourism route. Indochina Junk

On the return trip on November 18, the Blue Dream Melody cruise ship brought about 400 Chinese tourists to Ha Long International Passenger Port. The ship anchored at the port until 6 p.m. the same day for tourists to visit the heritage - wonder of Ha Long Bay, city tour to explore famous tourist destinations, experience culture, cuisine, and shopping in Ha Long.

Previously, on November 16, the sea tourism route Ha Long (Vietnam) - Bac Hai (China) was opened after the efforts of the two provinces of Quang Ninh (Vietnam) and Guangxi (China) in concretizing cooperation agreements in many fields, including tourism, which were signed earlier.

It is expected that the Ha Long - Bac Hai cruise route will operate regularly from 2025. From this cruise route, Quang Ninh province will also develop new cruise routes from China to Quang Ninh, while opening up opportunities for tourists to experience international cruise routes from Ha Long (Vietnam) to destinations around the world, including Bac Hai, China.

Source: https://indochinajunkcruises.com/travel-news/cruise-ships-from-bac-hai-continue-to-halong.htm

Dalat named in the list of cheap tourist destinations in Asia

With a room rate of about 60 USD per night, Da Lat is in the top destinations for tourists who want to travel on a budget at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year. - Vietnam Budget Tour

On November 19, travel platform Agoda released a list of the most budget-friendly year-end destinations in Asia, based on booking data in September and October for stays between December 24 and December 31. The list was compiled based on an analysis of average room rates in 10 prominent cities in each country, from which the top budget destinations were compared and ranked.

"The holiday season inspires the desire to explore new lands, but rising costs are a concern for many customers," said Mr. Vu Ngoc Lam, Director of Agoda in Vietnam.

Da Lat leads in Vietnam with an average price of more than 1.5 million VND (aprox 60 USD) per night, a suitable choice for tourists who want to enjoy the Christmas and New Year atmosphere without worrying about the cost.

With its characteristic cool climate and rich natural scenery, Da Lat is always a familiar destination for Vietnamese tourists at the end of the year. The city has a flower festival every two years, combined with bright lights, creating a vibrant atmosphere. This is an ideal choice for tourists who want to temporarily leave the city to enjoy a peaceful vacation.

Hat Yai, Thailand, topped the list with an average room rate of over VND1.1 million ($50) per night. The city is known for its bustling markets, especially Kim Yong Market, which has a colorful festival atmosphere. Surakarta, Indonesia, also known as Solo, came in second with an average price of over VND1.2 million ($50) per night, and is notable for its cultural heritage sites such as the Keraton Surakarta Palace and Pasar Gede Market.

Other destinations on the list include Varanasi, India; Taitung, Taiwan or Nagoya, Japan with prices of around 55 USD, 100 USD and 115 USD per night, respectively.

Source: https://budgetvietnamtours.com/news/dalat-in-the-top-cheapest-tourist-destinations-in-asia.asp

Quang Ninh welcomes super cruise ships with thousands of passengers

On November 12, at Ha Long International Passenger Port, two international super ships docked, bringing more than 4,700 tourists to Ha Long City. - Halong Bay Cruise

At 8:00, the Noordam ship (Dutch nationality) traveled from Hong Kong (China) to Singapore, bringing nearly 1,900 passengers to Ha Long. Then, at 10:00 on the same day, the cruise ship Celebrity Solstice (Malta nationality) docked with 2,806 passengers.

Most tourists come from Europe and America, and this is also the main group of tourists visiting Ha Long during the annual cruise season.

Immediately after arriving at the port, tourists divided into many groups to visit and explore the beauty of Ha Long Bay and other famous scenic spots in Ha Long City such as Long Tien Pagoda and Quang Ninh Museum. Others chose to travel to Yen Tu National Special Relic Site (Uong Bi City) and Yen Duc Village (Dong Trieu City).

Two super cruise ships took these tourists away from Ha Long the next day (November 13). According to the plan, the Celebrity Solstice will return to Ha Long 4 more times in 2024, expected to bring tens of thousands more tourists to Quang Ninh province.

It is expected that from now until the end of 2024, Ha Long International Passenger Port will welcome about 10 large cruise ships from world-famous corporations and brands such as: Mein Schiff 6, Celebrity Solstice, ... bringing tens of thousands of international tourists to Quang Ninh.

Quang Ninh province is considered by international cruise lines to be a destination with great competitive advantages in the cruise tourism market share in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, thanks to its World Heritage - Natural Wonder of the World Halong Bay, unique experiences of culture and local cuisine.

In particular, Quang Ninh is currently the first and only locality in Vietnam with a specialized passenger port for tourism, capable of receiving many large-scale international ships at the same time.

Source: https://cruise-halong-bay.com/news/super-cruise-ships-bring-more-than-4700-international-visitors-to-halong.asp