HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội will continue to co-operate with US television network CNN to promote the city as a new destination for sporting events, including the upcoming Formula 1 Race.

The information was revealed as part of the city Department of Tourism’s development plan for 2019 to 2023.

A representative of CNN said that in 2019, the channel will continue to focus on the heritage, people and culture of Hà Nội. In 2020, it will promote the city as a new destination for the country, with the Formula 1 Race as an attractive event.

Last August, Hà Nội was chosen to host the race for ten years, making the country one of three in Southeast Asia to host a Formula 1 event, along with Malaysia and Singapore.

The race, which will run on a 5.5km circuit, will take place near Mỹ Đình National Stadium. The first race is slated for April 2020. Ticket prices will be announced this April.

Apart from the main race, other events such as parades and showcases of race cars will be included in the event. Vingroup will be the exclusive sponsor.

In 2021, Hà Nội will host the 31st Southeast Asian Games.

Last year, in co-operation with CNN, Hà Nội released 30-second commercials promoting the city’s tourism on the channel.

The city has been lauded by the international press for its attractiveness. The US’s TIME magazine voted the city one of eight top destinations for all visitors. The World Travel Awards organisation nominated Hà Nội as one of 17 ‘Leading City Destinations of the World’ in 2018.

It also ranked 12th in the best destinations in the world in 2018 by readers of TripAdvisor.

This year, the city expects to receive nearly 29 million tourists, an increase of 10 per cent compared to the previous year. International visitors will make up more than 7 million of that number.

Total revenue from tourists will reach more than VNĐ103 trillion (US$4.4 billion), an increase of 34 per cent compared to 2018. – VNS