International tourists visit Đà Nẵng City by sea on Wednesday on the first day of the lunar new year.— VNA/VNS Photo Lê Lâm

HÀ NỘI — The Đà Nẵng Department of Tourism held a ceremony on Wednesday (the first day of the lunar new year) to welcome over 800 US nationals arriving in the central city by sea aboard the cruise ship Crystal Symphony.

At the welcoming ceremony, a Đà Nẵng leader presented flowers and souvenirs to the tourists – the first to the city on the Lunar New Year 2025.

The Crystal Symphony departed from Singapore on January 18, making stops in Thailand and Cambodia before arriving in Việt Nam.

In Đà Nẵng, the visitors will explore famous attractions such as Linh Ứng Pagoda on Sơn Trà Peninsula, the Museum of Cham Sculpture and Mỹ Khê Beach.

Also on the morning of the same day, the department organised a welcoming ceremony for the first tourists travelling to the central city by air.

The visitors were thrilled to enjoy the vibrant lion dance performance and receive specialty gifts such as conical hats, candied ginger, grilled coconut cakes and sesame brittle.

Notably, they were offered special vouchers for sightseeing and entertainment at the locality’s famous attractions during their stay.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Tán Văn Vương stated that holding the welcoming ceremonies was aimed at creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere for tourists during the New Year celebration.

In 2025, Đà Nẵng’s tourism industry will continue to introduce innovative and unique products to enhance their experience and drive further growth.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Đà Nẵng International Airport is set to welcome over 140 domestic and international flights, with an estimated 20,000 passengers.

Among them are 65 international flights, bringing around 10,000 visitors to the city.

Welcome ceremony for the first arrivals at Vân Đồn Airport, Quảng Ninh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

At 8 am on January 29, the cruise ship Silver Dawn carrying nearly 500 tourists from Europe and America docked at the Hạ Long International Passenger Port in the northern province of Quảng Ninh.

Upon arrival, the visitors were warmly welcomed by Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phạm Đức Ấn, along with leading officials of the provincial Department of Tourism.

On the same morning, at the Vân Đồn International Airport, representatives from the provincial Department of Tourism, Vân Đồn district’s authorities, and the airport's leaders welcomed passengers on VietJet Air flight VJ230 from HCM City.

The flight landed at 8:30 am, marking the first air arrivals to Quảng Ninh in the Lunar New Year.

Passengers were greeted with flowers and traditional ‘lì xì’ (lucky money) as part of the warm New Year celebration.

In 2025, Quảng Ninh's tourism sector aims to attract 20 million visitors, including 4.5 million foreigners, and to earn an estimated tourism revenue of around VNĐ55 trillion (US$2.19 billion).—VNS