Foreign visitors explore the Temple of Literature in Hà Nội. — Photo quocphongthudo.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội’s tourism sector is set to launch a series of major programmes and festivals in 2026 to strengthen the city’s appeal as the ‘Urban Gem of Northern Việt Nam’, a title bestowed by the prestigious travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler.

In the latter half of the year, the capital will introduce new tourism products designed to diversify visitor experiences. Highlights include a community tourism model in Mường Cốc, located in Mỹ Đức on the outskirts of Hà Nội and bordering the mountainous region of Hòa Bình Province. The area is renowned for its natural beauty and the distinctive cultural traditions of the Mường ethnic community.

Other initiatives include the night-time programme Hào Khí Thánh Gióng (Heroic Spirit of Saint Gióng) at Sóc Temple; the community tourism project Hồn Tre Đống Vũ (The Soul of Đống Vũ Bamboo) in Đống Vũ Village, known as the cradle of bamboo and rattan weaving; and agricultural experiences linked to Kim Lan pottery village and Văn Đức vegetable village.

A tour of Kim Lan pottery village is among the new tourism products introduced to travellers in 2026. — Photo thoidai.com.vn

The city will also continue to develop agricultural tourism models in Đa Phúc, Phượng Dực and Phúc Lộc communes, enhance cultural and community tours and promote 80 distinctive tourism products already announced.

In addition, Hà Nội will support the launch of a high-quality tourist train service between Hà Nội and Thái Nguyên, a province with strong potential in historical, cultural, and eco-tourism.

River tourism routes will also be expanded to Sơn Tây and Việt Trì, while adventure sports tourism will be developed with paragliding at Bù Hill.

To further enhance its appeal, Hà Nội will host 16 major programmes and festivals by the end of 2026, including the Hà Nội Tourism Gift Festival, the Hà Nội Áo Dài Festival and the Hà Nội Autumn Festival, alongside other promotional events.

According to Đặng Hương Giang, Director of the Hà Nội Department of Tourism, the city is preparing an international communications strategy for 2026–2030. This includes continued collaboration with national carrier Vietnam Airlines to promote Hà Nội’s image on flights, as well as strengthening coverage across domestic and international media under the message 'Hà Nội – Come to Love'.

At the same time, the capital city will accelerate digital transformation in tourism by building a centralised database, upgrading its tourism promotion information system, introducing e-tickets at attractions, and expanding the Digital Culinary Tourism Map of Hà Nội, integrated with the iHanoi app.

Tourists enjoy xích lô rides while discovering Hà Nội. — Photo hanoi.gov.vn

Tourism performance has already shown strong momentum. In May, Hà Nội welcomed around 3 million visitors, up 10 per cent compared to the same period in 2025. International arrivals reached more than 709,000, a rise of 23.2 per cent, while domestic visitors numbered 2.3 million, up 6.5 per cent. Tourism revenue was estimated at VNĐ12,050 billion (about US$457.8 million), an increase of 13.7 per cent.

In the first five months of the year, the city received nearly 15 million visitors, up 17.2 per cent. International arrivals reached 4.06 million, up 28.1 per cent, while domestic visitors totaled 10.92 million, up 13.7 per cent. Tourism revenue was approximately VNĐ62,770 billion (nearly $2.4 billion), marking a 20.6 per cent increase.

For the first half of 2026, Hà Nội is estimated to have welcomed 18.01 million visitors, up 15.7 per cent year-on-year. This included 4.64 million international arrivals, up 26.8 per cent, and 13.37 million domestic visitors, up 12.3 per cent. Notably, about 3.27 million international visitors stayed overnight in the city.

Visitors view handicraft products at the Hà Nội Tourism Gift Festival 2025. — Photo ngaynay.vn

Tourism revenue in the first six months was estimated at VNĐ74,230 billion (about $2.8 billion), up 19.1 per cent. Accommodation services also showed strong recovery, with average hotel occupancy reaching 65.6 per cent, an increase of more than two percentage points compared to the same period last year.

With positive growth and a series of initiatives in product development, promotion, and technology adoption, Hà Nội’s tourism sector is expected to sustain its appeal, strengthen competitiveness and attract more domestic and international visitors in the years ahead. — VNS