With only 3 days left until the Hung Kings Commemoration Day holiday, and April 30 and May 1 holidays, Thua Thien Hue's tourism industry is ready to welcome tourists on these holidays.
The highlight of this year's holiday, when tourists come to Hue, will be Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023
It will be a “hearty party”
Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Director of the Department of Tourism, assessed that the Hung Kings Commemoration holiday, and April 30 and May 1 holidays this year will be a "golden" opportunity for Hue tourism, service, and tourism businesses to organize activities to welcome visitors.
This year's holidays will take place during the peak week of Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023 with a series of more than 50 festivals and attractive events, with the highlight being the opening program of Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023 at 20:00 on April 28; gastronomy festival "The Quintessence of Vermicelli" at Thuong Bac Park from April 28 to May 2; program "Gratitude to the Huong river"; street performance festival; cultural and art exchange program between Hue city and other cooperated cities, both domestic and international.
Besides the festivals taking place in the center of Hue city, some localities also organize festivals and tourism events, especially, Phu Vang district will organize the festival "The Scent and Colors of Lagoon and Sea" from April 23 to 30. In Quang Dien district, from April 28 to 29, at the beaches of Quang Ngan and Quang Cong communes, the Quang Dien beach tourism festival 2023 will be held, with rich and diverse activities, vividly reflecting the typical values of life and culture of people and the land of Quang Dien.
The Culture and Information Office of Quang Dien district said that this is one of the activities that contribute to promoting and attracting tourists to experience sea and lagoon tourism and enjoy famous local products. This is also the start of activities held until the end of the sea tourism season.
Waterfall tourism in A Luoi, Phu Loc, Phong Dien, etc., has reopened and is ready to welcome visitors during the holidays. Particularly at the waterfall tourist spots exploited by businesses, such as Bach Ma Village in Phu Loc district, or YesHue Eco Thac Mo in Nam Dong district, the number of guests booking services during the 5 days of public holidays is almost full.
In this year's holidays, Thua Thien Hue organizes many events associated with sea tourism
Eco-tourism and community attractions in the province also promptly supplemented services to welcome visitors. The community tourist site in Ban Doi (Nam Dong district) and the Duong Hoa war zone relic site (Huong Thuy town) have new experience activities, cultural experiences, and campfires to attract groups of family and friends to stay overnight. Also, visitors can choose to join the unique countryside market of Hue at Thanh Toan tiled-roof bridge (Thuy Thanh commune, Huong Thuy town) for two nights from April 28 to April 29.
According to the Department of Tourism, in this holiday, many businesses and destinations in Thua Thien Hue are ready to prepare new products with bold characteristics, including the service of enjoying tea and dinner in Hue Royal Palace of Hue Monuments Conservation Center; Luxury cruise on the Huong River of Song Trang Company and Ngu Huong Company. Travel agencies have also actively built new tours to experience the Tam Giang lagoon, and explore the culture and ecological landscape of A Luoi and Nam Dong highlands; food tours; tours associated with the week of Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023’s activities.
Guaranteeing the best service
According to statistics from the Department of Tourism, during the holidays of Hung King's Commemoration, April 30 - May 1 holidays, and Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023 week (8 days, from April 28 to May 5), Thua Thien Hue tourism will welcome about 100,000 tourists. Total revenue is expected to reach 155 billion VND. The average occupancy of tourist accommodation establishments is 77%. Particularly, the total number of tourists booked to stay until April 23 is estimated at 55.5 thousand turns; in which, there are about 30,000 domestic tourists and 25,500 international tourists.
Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc said that this year's holiday is expected to have about 100,000 visitors in 8 days, doubling the number of visitors compared to that of last year.
Manager of the tourism industry requires businesses to take the initiative in human and material resources to best serve tourists (Photos of checking accommodation facilities before the holidays)
According to Mr. Phuc, in order to ensure the safety and quality of services for tourists, the Department of Tourism has asked tourism businesses in the area to improve the quality of pick-up services. Tourist attractions, hotels, and restaurants prepare staff and material resources, ready to serve the peak week to welcome guests to Hue. It is necessary to make plans to arrange enough forces, officers, employees, facilities, and necessary backup conditions to serve guests.
At 3-star to 5-star hotels, by April 23, most of the rooms are full or have a capacity of over 90-95% and are likely to run out of rooms in the coming days. Mr. Nguyen Huu Binh, Director of Hue Century Hotel said that this year tourists booked rooms earlier than last year. The early booking of tourists helps the hotel to take the initiative in service options. The hotels have fully prepared materials, arranged more staff and overtime staff, etc. All are ready to serve guests.
A note of the tourism industry management for tourism businesses is that it is necessary to comply with the instructions on pandemic prevention in the new situation under the direction of the Ministry of Health, the National Administration of Tourism, and the Provincial Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of COVID-19. In particular, it is recommended to implement 2K: khu khuan (disinfection) and khau trang (mask). Businesses must not be subjective when the pandemic shows more complicated signs.
The tourism industry also requires businesses to seriously list prices, not to raise room prices or squeeze prices for visitors when coming to Hue. The tourism industry, in collaboration with police agencies and localities, has hotlines to support tourists when needed, especially in Hue city, which has a large number of tourists during the holidays.
Story and photos: Duc Quang