Tourism industry booms as Vietnamese explore their country

A significant number of people began their return journey to Hanoi on the third day of this long holiday. On the afternoon of September 2, the highway from Nghe An to Hanoi witnessed congestion, particularly near the Vuc Vong interchange where traffic slowed down for nearly 20 kilometers. The city's gateways also experienced increased traffic density towards the end of the day.

Hanoi's inner-city transportation during the holiday period showed positive developments. The Nhon - Hanoi Station and Cat Linh - Ha Dong metro lines proved to be effective, transported an average of 100,000 passengers daily in total. Many of the passengers are dwellers from neighboring areas coming to the capital to visit cultural and historical sites.

In the Central region, the Hue Citadel and other monuments within the Hue Imperial Citadel complex opened their doors free of charge to Vietnamese visitors yesterday, while a large number of international tourists also arrived on tours. On this occasion, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center organized a guard-changing ceremony plus performances at Duyet Thi Duong Theater and experiential games within the heritage areas.

On the same day, the Thua Thien Hue Province Department of Culture and Sports organized the 35^th traditional boat racing competition on the Huong River, attracting a large number of people and tourists. In Ha Tinh, thousands of visitors came to the Dong Loc National Historical Site to pay tribute to the heroes and martyrs and enjoy the scenery. Thien Cam Beach (Cam Xuyen District) also attracted a large number of tourists.

Meanwhile, Binh Dinh Province organized a series of major tourism, cultural, and film events, attracting a large number of visitors. The majority of tourists to this province arrived by train from HCMC and other northern provinces, mostly because of the La Vuong - Hoai Nhon Tourism Festival, the 232^nd death anniversary of Emperor Quang Trung, and a series of free tourism, film, and cinema programs in Quy Nhon City.

Moving to the South, tourist attractions in Dong Nai Province organized various cultural and artistic activities to serve locals and tourists during the holiday. Duong Tu Giang Park featured a mass synchronized performance involving over 1,000 people dressed in ao dai with printed national flag.

Buu Long Tourist Site welcomed 10,000 visitors on September 2. Ba Hao Lake Eco-tourism Area, located in Ma Da Commune of Vinh Cuu District, with its diverse range of services, sports activities, and historical relics, also attracted numerous tourists.

The Dong Nai Province Department of Culture – Sports – Tourism has asked that all tourist attractions must cooperate closely with the local People’s Committees to address issues such as people begging for money. The department also required these sites to provide trash bins and regularly collect waste, encourage the use of environmentally friendly products, and strictly adhere to price regulations.

Moving to Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province, its Tourism Department reported that from August 31 to September 2, all tourist sites here served more than 473,000 visitors, earning VND287.7 billion (US$11.6 million), a 15-percent rise compared to this time last year.

Remarkably, hotel rates on September 2 were only 2/3 of previous days. However, tourists this year prefer homestays and house for rent to hotel rooms thanks to their private feeling and reasonable prices.

Over 6,800 visitors came to Con Dao Island during the four-day holiday; yet due to rough seas, activities such as marine ecosystem tours, snorkeling, and sea turtle release could not be organized.

The Mekong Delta offered various activities to accommodate different tourist groups.

In Ca Mau, despite heavy rain in recent days, many tourists visited the Ca Mau Cape National Tourist Area, Hon Da Bac, Khai Long, U Minh Ha National Park, and Thi Tuong Lake. Phan Tan Hung, the owner of a community tourism site near Thi Tuong Lake in Phu Tan District, said that the number of tourists during this holiday increased by about 50 percent compared to the previous holiday.

In Can Tho, despite some localized rain, thousands of tourists flocked to tourist destinations such as Cai Rang Floating Market and the garden tourism areas in Phong Dien District. Nguyen Huu Hoang, Deputy Director of My Khanh Tourist Village, informed that tourists were very excited to enjoy the special cakes of the Mekong Delta, especially “banh xeo”. Currently, garden tourism areas in Phong Dien District have expanded many entertainment services, such as the My Khanh Mekong Delta floating market model, pig racing, dog racing, and folk games.