On the morning of February 17th (the first day of Tet), Ha Long International Passenger Ship Port welcomed two luxury cruise ships – Seabourn Encore and Piano Land – docking as scheduled. On board the two ships are nearly 2,400 international tourists from many countries, including European guests and some from Asian markets. These are the first international tourist groups to usher in the new year to Quang Ninh by sea in the new year.
At the port area, provincial leaders along with representatives from relevant departments and agencies were present early in the morning to welcome the group of guests. Immigration procedures were closely coordinated and managed by the authorities, leading to a smooth process of completing paperwork and disembarking the tourists with no congestion. After completing the procedures, many tourists continued their journey to visit Ha Long Bay – one of Vietnam's famous Natural World Heritage sites.
Some welcoming activities at the port were organized with the participation of management units and service operators, aiming to facilitate and provide necessary information for international guests as soon as they set foot in Quang Ninh. Travel businesses and local units were ready to welcome and coordinate the group of guests according to the schedule.
Not only stopping at the two ships on the first day of the year, according to plan, Ha Long International Cruise Port will continue to welcome three more international cruise ships on the 3rd, 4th, and 8th days of Tet, including the ship Le Jacques Cartier (French nationality), Adora Mediterranea and Silver Nova (both Bahamian nationality). These subsequent voyages are expected to bring thousands more visitors to explore the heritage region during the peak season at the beginning of the year.
According to preliminary statistics, on the first day of the year, Quang Ninh welcomed over 120,000 tourists, with international visitors accounting for a significant portion. Tourism activities were not only strong at seaports but also at central tourist spots and the Mong Cai international border gate, contributing to the local tourism revenue reaching hundreds of billions of dong on the first day of the year.
Assessing this series of activities, many management units believe that Quang Ninh welcoming international cruise ships right from the beginning of the year is a positive sign for the recovery and expansion of the international tourism market. This also serves as a basis for the province to continue implementing solutions to attract visitors in 2026, especially the cruise ship segment and international visitors arriving by air and land border gates.
This year, it is expected that Ha Long International Cruise Port will welcome nearly 90 international cruise ships with about 150,000 visitors from key markets such as the US, Germany, the UK, Canada, China, and many other European countries. This goal aims to further affirm Quang Ninh's position as one of the leading cruise tourism destinations in Southeast Asia.
