Tourists crowd Hanoi’s places of interest during four-day holiday hinh anh 1Visitors to the Temple of Literature in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi recorded a surge in tourist arrivals during the National Reunification (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holidays starting on April 28, according to the municipal Department of Tourism.

The capital city welcomed nearly 318,000 visitors during the four-day holiday, up 10 percent from the same period of 2017. Nearly 66,000 foreigners and 252,000 domestic tourists came to Hanoi, respectively rising by 20 percent and 7 percent.

Tourism generated 904 billion VND (39.4 million USD) in revenue for Hanoi during the holiday, up 8 percent year on year, the Tourism Department said.

Popular attractions included the Temple of Literature, the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Ngoc Son Temple, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Huong Pagoda, Khoang Xanh – Suoi Tien and Ao Vua tourist sites, and Ba Vi National Park.

Multiple activities were also held to serve tourists at places of interest such as the re-enactment of a market of ethnic people in mountainous Son La province at the Culture and Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups, martial arts and folk arts performances at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, and folk games at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

Meanwhile, the walking space around Hoan Kiem Lake and the neighbouring area was also extended to last from 7pm of April 27 through May 1, instead of only in the evening of Fridays and the weekend as usual.

Hotels in Hanoi also reported high occupancy rates, averaging about 63.5 percent at one- to five-star hotels. The countries with most tourists staying in the city during the holiday were China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the UK, Germany, and France.-VNA
VNA