Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Cao Tường Huy (L) presents a souvenir to David and Tina. VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG NINH – The northern coastal province of Quảng Ninh, home to world heritage site Hạ Long Bay, held a ceremony to welcome its three millionth foreign tourists on October 21.

David and Tina from the US arrived at the Hạ Long International Passenger Port on the day on Viking Orion cruise ship that travelled from China’s Hong Kong. During their two-day stay, they are set to visit Hạ Long bay, Quảng Ninh museum and many other tourist attractions.

According to Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Nguyễn Huyền Anh, the event marks a milestone for the locality, demonstrating its efforts to overcome Typhoon Yagi aftermath to host visitors with the highest quality services.

Quảng Ninh is working to pull in more international arrivals, she said, adding the province will host around 20 international cruise ships by the end of the year.

More than 60 cruise ships are expected to visit Hạ Long in the 2024-2025 season, including luxury ones of such renowned brands as Viking Orion, Costa, Seven Seas, Noordam, Celebrity Solstice, and Mein Schiff.

In the first nine months of this year, Quảng Ninh received 15.64 million tourists, with more than 2.59 million foreigners. It eyes to host 19 million visitors, comprising over 3.5 million foreign tourists this year, creating growth momentum for 2025 and the subsequent years. VNS