Halong City Prepares for Influx with 11 Cultural and Sporting Events on May Day Holiday
Halong City, Quang Ninh Province, anticipates an influx of domestic and international visitors with a series of 11 cultural, artistic, and sporting events organized during the upcoming May Day holiday, from April 30 to May 1.
Highlighting the event calendar is the Carnaval Halong, a spectacular extravaganza unfolding on the shores and waters of Halong Bay. The event promises an unforgettable feast of music and visuals, showcasing cutting-edge technologies such as drone light shows, 3D mapping, and LED displays.
Carnaval Halong to boast its largest stage to date. Photo: Hoang Duong.
These attractions are expected to draw throngs of tourists to Halong City during the holiday period. According to Tien Phong reporters, only three daily flights remain available for the period April 26-28 on the Ho Chi Minh City-Quang Ninh route, with fares reaching 3.5 million VND per person. As of April 29, all flights on this route are fully booked.
With domestic airfares soaring, many travelers are opting for road transportation during the holiday break. With its sunny weather, Quang Ninh is expected to attract visitors from Hanoi and other northern provinces.
Many Halong Bay cruise tours are fully booked. Photo: Nikkei Asia.
The influx of visitors has led to a surge in demand for tourist activities in Halong, with some operators reporting they can no longer accept additional bookings. Pham Ha, a representative of Lux Group Tour, noted that this year, domestic tourists have expressed significant interest in booking Halong Bay cruise tours. However, these tours have been fully booked for months by international tourists, leaving little availability for late bookers.
“It’s not just my company; most tour operators offering Halong Bay cruises are fully booked for the upcoming holiday,” said Mr. Ha. “Many cruise operators have upgraded their facilities, resulting in a surge in overnight stays. I’d love to accommodate more guests, but due to capacity constraints and safety concerns, we’ve had to decline dozens of calls every day since the government extended the holiday to five days.”
In addition to tour operators, many accommodation providers in Quang Ninh are reporting high occupancy rates during the holiday period. A survey conducted through booking platforms reveals that most hotels offering nightly rates between 500,000 VND and 1.5 million VND are nearing full capacity.
Limited availability of budget rooms in Halong City center. Photo: Booking.
The surge in tourists has also raised concerns among travel operators about their ability to meet the demands of visitors.
In fact, tourists have already begun flocking to beaches and islands in eastern Hanoi. Although the May Day holiday and the peak summer tourist season are yet to arrive, the Dong Bai ferry, which replaced the Got ferry, has experienced traffic congestion, with drivers and tourists struggling to board ferries to Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong City over the past weekend.
