Hanoi works hard to enhance people-to-people diplomacy

People-to-people exchanges have contributed to building a peaceful and stable environment, thus promoting the image of Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular in the eyes of international friends.

Being aware of its position as the national centre of politics, economy and culture, and the gateway of international exchanges, Hanoi has paid special attention to external affairs, especially people-to-people exchanges.

Tran Thi Phuong, Vice President of the HUFO, said the union has maintained friendship and cooperation with foreign diplomatic offices in Vietnam, and performed its core role in peace and friendship activities.

She further said the HUFO has coordinated with relevant municipal departments, agencies and localities, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and international organisations in the communications work, helping to boost and expand Hanoi’s foreign relations.

Hanoi has used the occasions of major holidays as well as big international events which it hosts to promote the culture, land and people of Vietnam and the city, while introducing its cooperation potential to international friends, Phuong added.

The HUFO has organised annual New Year tours named “Du xuan huu nghi” to cultural and historical relic sites and craft villages with the participation of representatives of foreign diplomatic corps and international organisations.

Such activities have helped foreigners understand more about the culture and land of Hanoi that has been recognised by UNESCO as a “City of Peace”, while intensifying solidarity and mutual understanding between Vietnamese and international friends, Phuong said.

Apart from annual events in celebration of National Days of countries and diplomatic ties between Vietnam and foreign nations, the HUFO has launched new activities, including exhibitions, workshops, book fairs, and contests to seek ambassadors for peace.

The union is continuing its efforts to implement people-people diplomacy and raise public awareness of the work, practically and effectively contributing to spurring the city’s construction and development, and advancing its position in the new period, Phuong said.

65 years since its liberation, Hanoi has affirmed its role as the national centre of politics, economy, society and science, and is integrating intensively into the world.

The city has worked hard to build a safe, friendly and attractive environment, becoming a trustworthy destination for both domestic and international friends, she noted.

Hanoi welcomed more than 4.7 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2019, a year-on-year increase of 10.1 percent, announced the municipal Department of Tourism.

The capital city hosted a total of 21.5 million visitors in the period, up 9.5 percent against the same period last year and making up 74.46 percent of this year’s target. This included more than 16.8 million domestic holidaymakers, up 9.3 percent year-on-year.

This year, Hanoi was again listed on various tourism rankings. Japan’s All Nippon Airways included the city among the 26 best Asian cities for a combination of business and leisure. The capital city was ranked fourth among the 25 destinations in Asia and 15th among the 25 destinations in the world in 2019 by TripAdvisor. Most recently, it was named on the Cable News Network (CNN)'s list of the 17 best places in Asia.

The city is striving to welcome 29 million tourists and earn 103 trillion VND (4.44 billion USD) in tourism revenue in 2019.

In the list of the top 100 city destinations 2018 released by Euromonitor International, Hanoi ranked fourth among capital cities in Southeast Asia in terms of foreign tourist numbers, following Bangkok (23.69 million), Singapore (18.55 million) and Kuala Lumpur (13.43 million).

Coordination between airlines, the domestic and foreign media, embassies, international organisations and travel companies will be strengthened to hold trips for businesses and reporters from key markets, according to the municipal Tourism Department.