In 2 days, the 1st and 3rd days of Tet, Ha Long International Passenger Port welcomed 3 luxury cruise ships docking, bringing about 2,700 international tourists to visit Ha Long Bay.
According to information from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ninh province, during the 8 days of Tet holiday (from February 14 to February 21), Ha Long Bay welcomed about 69,000 visitors.
The total number of Quang Ninh tourists reached over 1 million (equal to 116% over the same period), of which international visitors are estimated at 240,000 (reaching 108% compared to the same period). Total tourism revenue is estimated at 3,172 billion VND (equal to 122% over the same period).
In 2025, the total number of visitors to Ha Long Bay is estimated at 3.4 million, and revenue from entrance fees reached more than 988 billion VND. This result and the impressive numbers at the beginning of the year are an important foundation for the tourism industry to continue to break through in 2026.
Along with Ha Long Bay, island routes such as Co To and Van Don attract many domestic and international tourists to visit and relax.
In the Co To special zone, from the 2nd day of Tet, many groups of tourists have chosen the island as a spring travel destination.
The activity of welcoming the "first visitor" group at the beginning of the year was solemnly organized by the locality at the passenger port with the participation of local leaders and tourism service units, showing the hospitality of the sea and island region.
Many tourists choose the Special National Relic, the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Area on Co To Island, as the first stop on their journey.
In addition, experiential activities such as going to sea with fishermen, raking clams at tidal flats also attract the attention of tourists.
Accommodation and homestay establishments on Co To and Thanh Lan islands have proactively built tour schedules to visit and experience local culture and cuisine to serve tourists at the beginning of the year.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh Chi (35 years old, Hanoi) said that her family used to come to Co To in the summer, but this Tet holiday decided to return so that her children could experience the sea and island atmosphere in the early spring days.
Although it is Tet holiday, accommodation services are still full and thoughtful. My family is also prepared many traditional Tet dishes by the homestay owner, which are very cozy," Ms. Chi shared.
In Van Don special zone, activities to celebrate spring and welcome Tet took place sôi nổi. On Ngoc Vung island, the local government organized the Dinh - Mieu Ngoc Vung worshiping ceremony in Binh Minh village.
The traditional New Year ceremony with incense offering and palanquin procession rituals not only meets the religious needs of the people but also contributes to creating more attractive cultural and spiritual tourism products on the sea and island route.
Positive signals right from the beginning of the new year show that Quang Ninh's sea and island tourism has had a favorable start.
After COVID-19, the strong recovery of Ha Long Bay and the attractiveness of island routes such as Co To and Van Don will create momentum for the tourism industry to complete its 2026 growth target, continue to attract international visitors and effectively exploit the sea and island potential of the locality.
