Cruise ship tourists exit Ha Long international cruise port to explore the city. (Photo: quangninh.gov.vn)

Those registered to dock this year includes world renowned brands such as Mein Schiff 6 & 5, Celebrity Solstice, Noordam, MSC Spendida, and Westerdam. The busiest season for cruise tourism usually runs from October through April. In the last quarter of 2023, Quang Ninh welcomed 23 cruise liners with 23,000 tourists.

Meanwhile, 13 cruise ships with nearly 20,000 foreign passengers from Europe, the US, and China aboard have registered to dock at Ha Long Port this month. Notably, Celebrity Solstice has marked its return to the UNESCO-recognized heritage site for the eighth time since October 2023. It is also one of the biggest contributors to the total number of tourist arrivals in Ha Long.

Apart from Ha Long Bay, many other destinations in Quang Ninh are expected to become international tourist magnets, such as an exhibition space that spotlights the culture of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic minority group in Uong Bi City, Ha Long City Tour, and a tour to explore coal mining sites.