Opening ceremony of National Tourism Year 2018 slated for April 28

The opening ceremony of the National Tourism Year 2018 - Ha Long - Quang Ninh and the Carnival Ha Long 2018 will take place at Ha Long city on April 28, heard a press conference held on April 24.

Deputy Director of the provincial Tourism Department Trinh Dang Thanh said the opening ceremony will feature art performances and a firework display. About 2,000 artists of the province and art troupes from Brazil, Ukraine, China and Cuba, among others, will perform at the event.

Tickets will be distributed free for local people and tourists at Ha Long city and the entrance of Sun Carnival Square, the venue of the ceremony, which is able to host more than 10,200 spectators.

According to the provincial Tourism Department, Quang Ninh is estimated to welcome about 575,000 visitors during the four-day holiday (from April 28 - May 1) celebrating the Reunification Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1), representing a rise of 25 percent year-on-year.

During the National Tourism Year 2018, a series of festivals will be held in 14 localities of Quang Ninh.

The province, home to the world natural heritage site of Ha Long Bay, is the host of the National Tourism Year 2018 themed “Ha Long-Heritage, Wonder, Friendly Destination”. It is projected to host at least 51 cultural, sports and tourism events throughout the year.

Quang Ninh hopes to welcome 12 million visitors this year, including five million foreigners, and earn 22 trillion VND (968 million USD) in tourism revenue.

In 2017, it received 9.87 million arrivals, including 4.28 million foreigners, up 18 percent and 23 percent annually, respectively.

The sector earned over 17.88 trillion VND (786.9 million USD), up 30 percent compared to the previous year, and contributed 3.2 trillion VND (140.8 million USD) to the State budget, accounting for 11.9 percent of the local budget collection.

VNA