Hanoi (VNA) - A series of cultural and sporting events as well as tourism promotion programmes have been organised in Hanoi as part of the efforts by municipal authorities to attract holiday-makers to the capital, amid the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Municipal authorities plan to organise a folk culture festival this month, which is expected to contribute to further promoting Hanoi’s image among more and more holiday-makers, especially Vietnamese travellers.

A ceremony to celebrate 10 years since Vietnam’s Giong Festival was named by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity took place in the capital on December 12.

The Vietnam International Travel Mart 2020 (VITM 2020) was held in November, offering a chance for travel agencies and localities to promote tourism products and services, and seek business partnerships.

The municipal Department of Tourism reported that the number of tourists visiting the capital surged over 29 percent in November, and they were mainly domestic.

The city also welcomed 21,000 foreign visitors, up 5 percent compared to the previous month, and this is a positive sign, creating momentum for the city to speed up its tourism recovery, it said

Local travel agencies have also focused on creating new tours to stimulate domestic tourism demand while also maintaining traditional tours. They have also adopted a wide range of measures to attract tourists./.