Travel

Da Nang, Quang Ninh welcome first foreign tourists on first lunar day

About 800 American nationals aboard the cruise ship Crystal Symphony arrived in Da Nang on January 29, becoming the first visitors to the central city in the Lunar New Year 2025.

Da Nang welcomes first foreign tourists to the city (Photo: VNA)
Da Nang welcomes first foreign tourists to the city (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Da Nang Department of Tourism held a ceremony on January 29 (the first day of the lunar new year) to welcome over 800 US nationals arriving in the central city by sea aboard the cruise ship Crystal Symphony.

At the welcoming ceremony, a Da Nang leader presented flowers and souvenirs to the tourists – the first to the city on the Lunar New Year 2025.

The Crystal Symphony departed from Singapore on January 18, making stops in Thailand and Cambodia before arriving in Vietnam. In Da Nang, the visitors will explore famous attractions such as Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra Peninsula, the Museum of Cham Sculpture, and My Khe Beach.

Also on the morning of the same day, the department organised a welcoming ceremony for the first tourists travelling to the central city by air.

The visitors were thrilled to enjoy the vibrant lion dance performance and receive specialty gifts such as conical hats, candied ginger, grilled coconut cakes, and sesame brittle. Notably, they were offered special vouchers for sightseeing and entertainment at the locality’s famous attractions during their stay.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Tan Van Vuong stated that holding the welcoming ceremonies was aimed at creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere for tourists during the New Year celebration. In 2025, Da Nang’s tourism industry will continue to introduce innovative and unique products to enhance their experience and drive further growth.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Da Nang International Airport is set to welcome over 140 domestic and international flights, with an estimated 20,000 passengers. Among them, there are 65 international flights, bringing around 10,000 visitors to the city.

At 8:00 am on January 29, the cruise ship Silver Dawn carrying nearly 500 tourists from Europe and America docked at the Ha Long International Passenger Port in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Upon arrival, the visitors were warmly welcomed by Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Duc An, along with leading officials of the provincial Department of Tourism.

quang-ninh.jpg
Representatives from the provincial Department of Tourism, and Van Don district’s authorities welcome first travellers to Quang Ninh (Photo: VNA)

On the same morning, at the Van Don International Airport, representatives from the provincial Department of Tourism, Van Don district’s authorities, and the airport's leaders welcomed passengers on VietJet Air flight VJ230 from Ho Chi Minh City.

The flight landed at 8:30 am, marking the first air arrivals to Quang Ninh in the Lunar New Year. Passengers were greeted with flowers and traditional ‘li xi’ (lucky money) as part of the warm New Year celebration.

In 2025, Quang Ninh's tourism sector aims to attract 20 million visitors, including 4.5 million foreigners, and earn an estimated tourism revenue of around 55 trillion VND (2.19 billion USD)./.

VNA
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