In the Asia Backpacker Index for 2019, the website said “the food is also top-notch, especially when you are sitting amongst locals at one of the thousands of plastic-chair cafes throughout the city.”
“Keep costs even lower by sticking with bia hoi, the world's cheapest beer. Hostel beds are cheap, but private rooms are too, so don't automatically book a bunk.”
Cheap price is an advantage that helps attract holiday-makers to the capital city. However, experts said, sustainable tourism development requires more than that. What is more important is diverse and quality products and services to keep tourists staying longer, spending more money and coming back to the city.
Given this, the city’s tourism sector is consistently pursuing long-term and sustainable strategies.
Apart from cultural and historical values, rich cuisine and hospitable people, Hanoi has focused on developing high-quality tourism products and upgrading local infrastructure.
Hanoi received more than 2.4 million tourists in January, a year-on-year increase of 10.4%, according to the municipal Department of Tourism.
Of the figure, international arrivals to the capital city reached nearly 634,000, up 16% compared to the same period last year. Those who stayed overnight in the city numbered 445,000, mainly from the Republic of Korea, China and Japan, according to local accommodation service providers.
Meanwhile, domestic holidaymakers amounted to 1.7 million, an increase of 8.5%.
Total tourism revenue was estimated to surge 34.2% year on year to VND8.89 trillion (US$383.3 million).
Hanoi welcomed 5.74 million foreign visitors in 2018, up 16% against 2017, among 26 million tourists spending time in the city.
Last year, the city was ranked 12th among the 25 best global destinations, and one of the two cities in Vietnam to enter the most prominent group in the world in terms of room reservation.
Hanoi’s key tourism markets include China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, France, the US, the UK, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Canada.
