The tourism industry welcomes international visitors who have just arrived in Hue.

Received much good news.

Hue, a popular tourist destination, is once again being mentioned by travelers worldwide. At the end of 2023, Travel+Leisure magazine (USA) suggested that Vietnam's ancient capital is one of the must-see destinations in Asia for travelers in 2024. Among many tourist destinations in various countries, Hue stands out with positive reviews. In particular, Travel+Leisure experts believe that Thua Thien Hue is an ideal destination for relaxation and reconnecting with the past while traveling in Vietnam, offering numerous suggestions for experiences and explorations in this land of the Perfume River.

In 2023, Thua Thien Hue welcomed approximately 3.2 million visitors, notably a significant increase in international tourists, reaching nearly 1.2 million, a nearly 445% increase compared to the previous year. Total tourism revenue was estimated at over 6,605 billion VND, exceeding 145% compared to the previous year.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Director of the Department of Tourism, shared that at the World Tourism Awards 2023 (WTA 2023), Thua Thien Hue had hotels and resorts that were honored. This prestigious award recognized Azerai La Residence Hue as the leading boutique hotel in Vietnam 2023 and Banyan Tree Lang Co Hue as the top hotel in the "Leading Luxury Beach Resort" category.

The quality of service is a major plus point for tourism in Hue.

This is not the first time this year that prestigious international tourism organizations have mentioned hotels and resorts in Hue, the land of the Perfume River and Ngu Mountain. Just a few months ago, many hotels and resorts in Hue were also highly ranked at the Travel & Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2023. Notably, Hue ranked 8th in the top 10 destinations in the "Cities" category of the awards. Even more impressive is that Vietnam only had two cities in the top 10 in this category (Hanoi and Hue).

In 2023, the Michelin Guide (France) also suggested 10 luxury hotels to stay at in Vietnam, with the ancient city of Hue ranking among the top destinations with two hotels: Banyan Tree Lang Co, located on the coast of Phu Loc district, and Azerai La Résidence on the Perfume River in Hue city. Banyan Tree Lang Co scored 19.7 out of 20 points, and Azerai La Residence scored 18 points. The high ratings of these hotels not only affirm their top-quality service but also demonstrate the efforts of the entire hotel team in successfully building a unique and luxurious stay experience. It also proves the progress and attractiveness of tourism in the Perfume River region.

According to representatives from the Department of Tourism, the fact that many hotels and resorts in Hue have won awards and been honored is an opportunity to further promote Thua Thien Hue tourism in its orientation towards becoming a health and wellness tourism destination. This also creates more opportunities to increase the number of visitors and the length of their stay.

Occasionally, Hue's tourism industry receives letters and messages with positive feedback. During the recent September 2nd holiday, a German tourist also gave very positive feedback: “This trip to Hue was quite interesting. The hotels were fully booked. Le Loi Street was crowded with people, bustling with shopping, and double-decker buses were constantly coming and going. Hue is peaceful but also dynamic. What impressed me was how friendly, welcoming, and cheerful the staff were at the hotels, restaurants, cafes, and street stalls. You only truly appreciate how lovely Hue is after traveling a lot.”

Many opportunities for rapid growth.

Tourism is a bright spot in Vietnam's economic landscape and is considered a crucial driving force for the economy in 2023 and beyond. Thua Thien Hue possesses numerous advantages and potentials for tourism development, with new strategies for promoting and attracting both domestic and international tourists.

In a recent conversation with the provincial tourism "commander," Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc stated that Thua Thien Hue's tourism industry is actively promoting and communicating the image and products of the locality; advising the provincial government on policies to create favorable conditions and encouraging local tourism businesses to offer preferential pricing policies for airlines and travel agencies bringing tourists to Thua Thien Hue; supporting the connection and promotion of tourism businesses in the province to develop new products, especially health and wellness tourism, MICE tourism, traditional craft village tourism, and spiritual tourism to complement heritage tourism; and simultaneously building titles such as: "Hue - City of Festivals," "Hue - Capital of Ao Dai," and "Hue - Capital of Gastronomy." Thua Thien Hue is also implementing the Four Seasons Festival project to attract domestic and international tourists throughout the year. This creates favorable conditions and good opportunities for increasing flights and opening new routes to and from Phu Bai International Airport, thereby contributing to attracting international tourists.

One of Hue's challenges is the relatively short length of stay for tourists. However, this problem can be solved by combining many factors, from tourism development policies to the concerted efforts of the tourism industry, local authorities, businesses, and tourism professionals. Equally important is close coordination among travel agencies in researching and developing new, attractive tourism products and collaborating with accommodation providers to offer incentives to retain tourists.

Recent tourism promotion programs in South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries have opened up more opportunities to attract international tourists to Hue. Looking to the future, Thua Thien Hue can place high hopes on developing cultural tourism based on its diverse and unique cultural resources and many inherent advantages. And, the combined efforts of all stakeholders in the tourism industry will be the best driving force for Hue's tourism to accelerate in 2024 and the years to come.

Text and photos: Huu Phuc