In 2024, Halong Bay is expected to welcome approximately 60 international cruise ships, carrying about 80,000 registered tourists to the Halong International Cruise Port. The cruise season started in October 2023, with the International Cruise Port of Halong hosting large-scale cruise ships to visit Halong Bay and other tourist destinations in Quang Ninh province.
During the last three months of 2023 alone, there were 23 cruise ships bringing around 23,000 passengers to Quang Ninh. In January 2024, 13 cruise ships registered to dock at the International Cruise Port of Halong, bringing nearly 20,000 tourists from Europe, the United States, and China. Notably, some ships, such as the Celebrity Solstice from Malta, made multiple visits, arriving at Halong Port eight times and bringing over 12,000 European and American tourists since October 2023.
On January 1, 2024, two international cruise ships, Vasco Da Gama from Portugal and Celebrity Solstice from Malta, brought nearly 650 German tourists and over 3,000 European and American tourists, respectively, marking one of the largest groups since the start of the 2023-2024 international cruise season.
On January 4, two other cruise ships, Zhao Shang Yi Dun from China and Westerdam from the Netherlands, brought around 2,200 European, American, and Chinese tourists to Halong. This signals positive developments for the Quang Ninh tourism industry as the international cruise tourism market resumes and grows after the control of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024, about 60 large cruise ships are expected to register at the port, bringing approximately 80,000 passengers. These registered cruise ships belong to well-known international brands such as Mein Schiff 6 and 5, Celebrity Solstice, Noordam, MSC Splendida, Westerdam, among others. International cruise travelers will contribute significantly to diversifying and enhancing the tourist influx to Quang Ninh, and Vietnam as a whole, especially during the off-peak season of domestic tourism.
To attract tourists in general and cruise tourists in particular, in 2024, Quang Ninh province plans to introduce various new products focusing on ecological tourism, cultural experiences, and health care with a unique and novel approach. Anticipated products include the cultural space exhibition of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group in Uong Bi city, the Hạ Long City Tour exploring Hon Gai for cruise tourists, and the exploration of the coal mining site by the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group.
Moreover, the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism emphasizes the need for increased investment in developing infrastructure, especially tourist seaports. There is also an emphasis on maintaining, expanding, and connecting the cruise tourism market, working closely with ship representatives to introduce Quang Ninh’s immigration policies and market scale. Additionally, the development of diverse and high-quality products to meet the different needs of various market segments is crucial, aiming to extend the length of stay and increase spending for tourists in different market segments, enhancing competitiveness as a tourist destination.
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