HÀ NỘI — Tens of thousands of visitors flocked to major tourism destinations across the country during the four-day holiday, which started from last Saturday and ended yesterday.

The holidays marked Việt Nam’s unification (April 30, 1975) and Labour Day on May 1.

Huế, a central city and the country’s former imperial capital, welcomed some 280,000 visitors during the holidays, a 25 per cent increase from the same period last year, of which 68,000 were foreign tourists. The city’s hotels were nearly booked to capacity, with visitors showing keen interest in the night tour of the imperial city – a new tourism initiative by the local authority that began on April 22.

The ancient imperial city’s management board reported between 4,000-9,000 tourists visited the site every night during the period. The holidays this year coincided with a local traditional crafts festival, which conducted numerous activities to attract both local and international visitors, such as the áo dài (traditional dress) festival, culinary events, exhibition of local crafts and hot air balloon shows.

In addition, people no longer seemed afraid of going to the beach after last year’s infamous Formosa environmental disaster. The country’s central beaches were seen crowded with tourists who not only enjoyed the water but also the region’s rich variety of seafood.

While many residents of Hà Nội left the city to vacation elsewhere, the city registered a significant surge of 33 per cent visitors compared with the same period last year. More than a quarter million tourists visited the city, with usual tourist spots such as the Temple of Literature, the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum and the old Thăng Long Imperial Citadel busy throughout the holidays.

Other popular destinations such as Hải Phòng along the northern coastline, Cát Bà Island, southern Bình Thuận and Long An also welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors during the holidays this year. — VNS