New attraction of Hai Phong tourism in autumn - winter

Possessing unique natural scenery, rich cultural and historical space and developed infrastructure, Hai Phong is emerging as a four-season destination, especially attractive in autumn and winter.

Explore Cat Ba mangrove forest. Photo: TIEN ANH

A different experience

Cat Ba in late autumn has a completely different beauty. No longer bustling and vibrant like summer, the island is immersed in light fog, the air is cool and strangely peaceful. That is also the reason why many tourists choose to return here in the low season, to feel a very different Cat Ba, full of poetry and gentleness.

Sitting sipping a cup of hot coffee in a homestay overlooking the sea in Cat Hai special zone, Mr. Nguyen Manh Dung (Hanoi) is on a 3-day trip to Cat Ba with his family and shared: "Summer here is crowded, the scenery is really beautiful but a bit noisy. This time I tried to go in the low season, at first I was a bit worried because I was afraid it would be too deserted. But I was surprised, the air was cool, the sea was peaceful, the service was attentive and the price was reasonable. This is a very valuable experience, especially for those who want to relax quietly or go with relatives".

Not only Mr. Dung, more and more tourists are starting to be interested in journeys to explore the islands in the low season. From a destination that was only bustling in the summer, Cat Ba and Hai Phong are now gradually appearing on the winter tourism map of the North, opening up opportunities to develop four-season tourism for the Port City. Not only the island area, many other destinations such as Vinh Bao, Kien Thuy, An Duong... are also chosen by tourists as ideal stops in the winter.

In particular, traditional craft villages such as Bao Ha statue carving village, Lat Duong sedge mat village, Kha Lam carpentry village, Kieu Trung porcelain flower village, Duong Dong pottery village, Chu Dau pottery village and Cat Hai fish sauce village, or spiritual tourist destinations such as Ba De temple, Hang pagoda, Du Hang pagoda, Hang Kenh communal house, Con Son - Kiep Bac historical and architectural relics... attract a large number of domestic and foreign visitors to experience in the last months of the year.

Tourists experience at Chu Dau pottery village.

Diversity and potential

According to Ms. Tran Thu Ha, Director of a travel company in Hai Phong, tourism tastes are changing. Tourists today do not only travel to “check-in”, but also seek authentic experiences, linked to local culture, nature and mental health. Businesses are promoting winter tourism products such as “Hai Phong past and present”, combining visits to ancient architectural works with modern urban spaces such as along the Tam Bac River, walking streets, Hai Phong Museum and vintage cafes. In addition, products such as trekking in Cat Ba National Park, health care tours in Do Son, homestays in craft villages, and traditional cooking classes are also of particular interest to customers.

A new trend that many travel companies are implementing in Hai Phong is winter resort tourism combined with health care. The Do Son and Cat Ba areas have a number of spa, yoga, and quiet homestay facilities, suitable for organizing short-term tours for middle-class and high-end groups. The cool air, little sunshine but not too harsh like the northern mountains, makes Hai Phong a destination "cold enough to experience, pleasant enough to relax".

Kha Lam carpentry village is an interesting destination for tourists.

One of the big plus points of Hai Phong tourism in winter is cuisine. Dishes such as crab rice noodles, spicy fish noodles, crab spring rolls, field crab hotpot, congee, hot tapioca pudding, banh duc tau, sui din… become even more attractive in the cold weather. This is the strength to develop winter culinary tourism.

Mr. Nguyen Van Long, manager of a traditional restaurant on Lach Tray Street, said that although autumn and winter tourists are not as crowded as summer, they tend to spend more and eat more carefully. If promoted more systematically, Hai Phong cuisine will certainly become a "customer magnet" in the cold season.

Policy and communication levers

Despite its clear potential, Hai Phong’s tourism industry is still facing many difficulties in exploiting the winter season. Most services, festivals, and events are still concentrated in the summer; many accommodation and tourism businesses in coastal areas such as Cat Ba and Do Son are closed from October to March because they believe there are “no visitors”.

Mr. Mai Xuan Thang, Chairman of Hai Phong Tourism Association, said that developing winter tourism is an inevitable step if Hai Phong wants to become a four-season destination. But to do so, the city needs a long-term strategy, infrastructure investment, raising awareness among businesses, and promoting unique winter experiences.

The poetic beauty of Cat Ba in winter.

The Tourism Association is proposing to organize stimulus events such as "Hai Phong Winter Tourism Week", "Do Son Light Festival", "Winter Cultural and Culinary Space" in the city center, combined with preferential programs on tour prices, room rates, especially on the occasion of Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year.

In addition, linking the region with Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh... to form winter tourism routes in the North is also an effective direction. Instead of letting international visitors only stay in Hanoi and then go to Sa Pa, we can completely attract them to Hai Phong for a few days if the product is attractive enough and the communication is good enough.

Hai Phong was, is and will not only be a summer destination. As tourism trends change, market demands become increasingly strict, developing four-season tourism, including winter, is an inevitable requirement. Exploiting winter tourism not only helps to extend the length of stay, increase revenue for businesses, reduce peak season pressure, but also contributes to forming a unique tourism identity of the Port City. This does not only start from the government or businesses, but also from the authentic experiences of tourists who have "fallen in love" with a different Hai Phong in the fall and winter.

THU HANG

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/suc-hut-moi-cua-du-lich-hai-phong-mua-thu-dong-523225.html