Cruise ship passengers visit Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province, January 1, 2024. (Photo: VNA)

On Tuesday, Quang Ninh, home to UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay, welcomed two luxury cruise ships carrying 4,700 passengers.

Earlier, Quang Ninh welcomed its 3 millionth international visitor aboard the Viking Orion cruise ship, which had come to Ha Long Bay.

In addition to its proximity to tourism markets like Taiwan (China), South Korea, and Japan, where many international cruise lines operate, Quang Ninh has the advantage of modern infrastructure, beautiful natural scenery, and fascinating local culture.

Quang Ninh has been working to establish new cruise tourism routes such as Guangzhou-Ha Long and Hong Kong-Ha Long. The first cruise on the Beihai-Ha Long route is expected to arrive in Ha Long by the end of this year.

 “We expect four to five cruises per month from Beihai, Guangzhou (China), and Hong Kong (China) to Ha Long Bay. Cruise tourism brings in international tourists and helps to promote other forms of tourism,” said Nguyen Lam Nguyen, Deputy Director of the Quang Ninh provincial Department of Tourism.

60 cruise ships are scheduled to bring more than 100,000 visitors to Quang Ninh between now and next April. Quang Ninh has set a goal of welcoming 19 million tourists, including 3.5 million foreigners, this year.