Quang Ninh, home to Ha Long Bay, welcomes 2,400 int’l visitors on Lunar New Year’s Day

The two cruise ships, Seabourn Encore and Piano Land, docked at Ha Long International Cruise Port on Tuesday morning, bringing 571 European tourists and 1,793 visitors mainly from Hong Kong, respectively.

The visitors were greeted with lion dances, festive drum performances, and lucky money envelopes, creating a lively Tet atmosphere.

During their stay, the groups are scheduled to tour Ha Long Bay and join city tours to explore local culture and cuisine.

Officials said the warm welcome left a strong impression on the guests, setting a positive tone for their journey.

Three more cruise ships are scheduled to dock in Ha Long on the third, fourth, and eighth days of Tet, the most important holiday for Vietnamese people.

In 2026, the port expects to receive about 88 cruise ships with 150,000 passengers from the United States, Europe, and China.

Quang Ninh recorded more than 21.28 million visitors in 2025, including 4.5 million international arrivals, generating VND57 trillion (US$2.2 billion) in revenue.

For 2026, the province aims to attract 22 million tourists, including 5.2 million international visitors, with projected tourism revenue of VND65 trillion ($2.5 billion).

Officials emphasized that Quang Ninh will continue focusing on high-quality tourism, targeting visitors with higher spending and longer stays, to elevate its position as a leading destination in Vietnam.