Italy’s five-star cruise ship Costa Serena. — Photo baoquangninh.vn

QUẢNG NINH – Italy’s five-star cruise ship Costa Serena docked at Hạ Long International Passenger Port in the northern province of Quảng Ninh on Friday, bringing 3,040 tourists from Hong Kong (China) to Hạ Long, home to Hạ Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognised world natural heritage.

This is the second time in 2024 that the ship, famous for its voyages across Asia, has brought tourists to Hạ Long on the Hong Kong - Hạ Long and HạLong - Hong Kong routes.

Welcoming the visitors, local travel agencies introduced them to special sightseeing and tourism activities in the province.

The tourists are scheduled to have interesting experiences at the world natural wonder of Hạ Long Bay, visit Quảng Ninh Museum and tourist attractions, and take a city tour to explore the local culture and cuisine.

According to the provincial Department of Tourism, so far this year, Quảng Ninh has welcomed 42 international cruise ships with more than 50,000 tourists.

In the remaining months of the year, it expects 13 more cruise ships to bring more than 15,000 visitors to the locality. The Costa Serena cruise is scheduled to return to Ha Long three more times on the Hong Kong - Hạ Long - Hong Kong route.

On October 21, cruise ship Viking Orion is expected to bring over 1,000 European visitors to Hạ Long, helping Quảng Ninh fulfil its yearly target of 3 million international visitors. — VNS