Hanoi welcomes first foreign tourist in 2020

Alain Baron, a French national flying with national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines from France to Hanoi, became the first foreign tourist to set foot in the capital city in 2020.
Hanoi welcomes first foreign tourist in 2020 ảnh 1The first foreign tourists of Hanoi in 2020 (Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Alain Baron, aFrench national flying with national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines from Franceto Hanoi, became the first foreign tourist to set foot in the capital city in2020.

A ceremony to welcome Baron and 14 otherforeign visitors was held at the Noi Bai International Airport on January 1 bythe municipal Department of Tourism, the Vietnam Airlines Corporation and theNoi Bai International Airport.

Director of the Hanoi Department of TourismTran Duc Hai noted that Hanoi has been chosen as a favourite destination bymany foreign tourists, and many leading travel magazines named the city among themost attract tourism spots of the region and the world.

The ceremony to welcome the first foreignvisitors to Hanoi is hoped to help the capital city promote its images andpeople to international friends.

The number of tourists to Hanoi reachednearly 29 million in 2019, up 10 percent from the previous year, including over7 million foreigners, a year-on-year rise of 17 percent.

According to the municipal Department ofTourism, the tourism sector grossed over 103.8 trillion VND (4.48 billion USD)in revenue, up 34 percent compared to the previous year.

In 2019, Hanoi won the Travelers’ ChoiceAwards and was ranked among the 25 leading destinations in Asia, and the 25world’s leading places on TripAdvisor website.

Hanoi was also shortlisted for the World’sLeading City Destination at the 2019 World Travel Awards (WTA).

In 2020, the capital city strives towelcome approximately 32 million visitors, including 8.22 million foreigners,up 10.2 percent and 17 percent year-on-year respectively.

The total tourism revenue is expected toexceed 116.7 trillion VND, a yearly rise of 12.5 percent./.
VNA

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