Foreign tourists on the pedestrian streets surrounding Hoàn Kiếm Lake. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội served over 550,000 tourists during the four-day holiday of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1), an almost 20-fold increase compared to 2020, according to the municipal Department of Tourism (DoT).

Nearly 2,000 of the visitors were foreigners, the department said. Total revenue from tourism activities was estimated at over VNĐ1.5 trillion (US$65.4 million), a 17-fold rise against 2020’s figure.

The DoT attributed the sharp increase in the number of tourists to the surging demand after tourism activities returned to normal.

To promote tourism and attract visitors, the city organised the Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival 2022, attracting more than 65,000 visitors. A variety of activities and events were also held at tourist attractions in the city on this occasion, with highlights being the launch of the bicycle tour “Footprints of Bát Tràng Ancient Village” and a pedestrian street at Sơn Tây Ancient Citadel, among others.

The occupancy rate of hotels and resorts is estimated at about 42.2 per cent. Hotels and tourist apartments with high occupancy rates include Somerset Tây Hồ (60 per cent), Tây Hồ's InterContinental Hanoi Westlake  (60 per cent), Lotte Hanoi (80 per cent) and Inter Continental Hanoi Landmark 72 (60 per cent).

Shopping centres and dining services also recorded a 40 per cent increase in revenue compared with the same period last year.

The President Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum welcomed nearly 45,000 visitors during the holidays, according to the mausoleum’s management board.

The management board has coordinated with the DoT to present 30,000 packages of gifts to tourists. — VNS