Tourist trains offer wonderful experiences of Vietnam's heritage, culture, and cuisine. Photo courtesy of VNAT's information centre

HÀ NỘI The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT)'s information centre has officially launched a promotional video for railway tourism in conjunction with the 64th founding anniversary of the sector in Việt Nam (1960-2024).

As part of the centre’s Việt Nam: Travel to Love! media campaign, the 3-minute-and-30-second clip showcases stunning and breathtaking scenes from a trans-Việt Nam journey along the North-South railway, which connects major cities and renowned tourist destinations across the country.

Local railway routes have been repeatedly praised by international media. The British travel guide Lonely Planet has even named the North-South railway as one of the world's most incredible rail trips. Also known as the Reunification Express, it stretches about 1,730 kilometres between the country’s two biggest cities of Hà Nội and HCM City over the course of two days.

Tourist trains offer wonderful experiences of Việt Nam's heritage, culture, and cuisine. There is one linking Hà Nội to Hải Phòng City, which offers an associated food tour around the northern port city. Meanwhile, the “Central Heritage Connection” train linking Huế ancient capital in the central province of Thừa Thiên - Huế and nearby Đà Nẵng City treats passengers to magnificent natural scenery, Hue songs, and local delicacies. And the "Đà Lạt night journey" train is where travellers can marvel at the romantic, dreamy, and sparkling nighttime views of the Central Highlands resort city.

According to the VNAT, railway travel has seen positive developments. In 2023, the number of domestic and foreign holidaymakers travelling by train reached 10 million and 1.5 million, the year-on-year increases of 15 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively. The growth of the railway industry has shown a recovery and an outstanding development of Việt Nam's railway tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic and, at the same time, reflected the trend of increasing demand for using this means of transport. VNA/VNS