My younger sister has been working in Quang Tri since Hanoi for nearly 20 years. Normally, my younger sister only returns to Hanoi to visit her parents during Tet. The other day, she called in a confident voice: "I will go to Hanoi but as a tourist. I have never seen a parade or parade in person in my life. The other day, I watched the parade and parade in Ho Chi Minh City live on TV and felt so moved, so I decided to invite a group of friends in Dong Ha. Everything is ready.
Perhaps, my sister's wish is not a rare case. Since the beginning of July, the number of tourists from all over the country booking to return to Hanoi has increased rapidly. Tours "Seeing the parade - Discovering Hanoi's autumn" were offered for sale since June and quickly sold out. Especially 4-day, 3-night packages at many hotels near Ba Dinh Square, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the Old Quarter.
Van Thanh, a young man I know, assigned by his parents to manage a small homestay near West Lake, said: "The number of customers booking tours during the National Day holiday increased by 20 - 25% compared to last year. This year's Hanoi is a very attractive destination thanks to the parade event celebrating the 80th anniversary of the country's founding. My family's homestay is full."
Thanh added: With only a few weeks left until the big holiday, many hotels within a radius of 1km around Uncle Ho's Mausoleum are full. Streets such as Son Tay, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Le Hong Phong... became extraordinarily vibrant. As soon as we had official information about the parade, we received dozens of calls every day. Customers asked not only about the room but also the route the group passed through, the best place to see, now we should leave early... Both domestic and overseas Vietnamese are excited" - Thanh said.
Some small-scale hotels earn an additional 20 - 30% compared to normal days. However, 4-5 star hotels still have space, especially those slightly further away from the center - in Hoan Kiem, Tay Ho, Hai Ba Trung districts.
Faced with concerns about the difficulty of booking accommodation, the leaders of the Hanoi Department of Tourism reassured tourists: "Hanoi has more than 71,000 rooms, enough to serve a large number of guests. We also encourage people to take advantage of the Airbnb and homestay model to increase accommodation, while ensuring service quality and safety.
Grasping the psychology of customers, many tourism businesses not only sell tours to see parades but also design journeys associated with historical impressions.
The communications director of a travel agency in Hanoi shared: "We have a tour "Remembering the Autumn Festival" through the following locations: Hoa Lo Prison, Opera House, Bac Son Monument, Ba Dinh Square, Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, Tran Quoc Pagoda... Combining the historical journey and cultural space, customers responded very well".
Many families choose the Hanoi - Ha Long - Ninh Binh package, with two nights off in the capital.
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The influx of tourists to Hanoi is expected to skyrocket in the last days of August and early September, not only as an opportunity for Hanoi to introduce itself, affirming itself as a hospitable place, the capital of a thousand years of culture, but also as a place to affirm the country's achievements, ready to enter the era of national growth.
One address that tourists "reserved" to visit during the historic Autumn Festival is the exhibition of national achievements after 80 years of National Day. This is an exhibition that has received the attention of Party and State leaders not only because of its scale but also its significance.
In early July, at a meeting with ministries, branches and competent agencies on the preparation and implementation of the organization of a national achievement exhibition on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of National Day on September 2 with the theme "80 years of independence - freedom - Happiness" at the Vietnam Exhibition Center (Truong Sa Street, Dong Anh Commune, Hanoi), Politburo member and Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh emphasized: Coming to the 80th anniversary of National Day, we will have a series of events and the Exhibition will be one of the highlights in this series of events.
The exhibition will introduce outstanding achievements, promote the image of the country and people of Vietnam, educate traditions and spread the aspiration to rise up and the aspiration to develop. Thereby contributing to building and consolidating the great national unity bloc, strengthening the people's trust in the leadership of the Party and State, and the belief in the country's rapid development in the future" - said the Permanent Deputy Prime Minister.
However, Hanoi is not only a place to go to, to visit, but needs to be a place to remember.
And right now, a big question is raised: What should Hanoians do to affirm the image of the capital as a green, clean, beautiful, civilized, and hospitable city in the eyes of international friends and tourists?
Hanoi is not simply a tourist destination. For many people across the country, this is a sacred place to return to during important times of the country. National Day, Ba Dinh Square, Uncle Ho's Mausoleum, Hanoi Flag Tower, Opera House or the old streets, Hoan Kiem Lake... are not only tourist "check-in points", but are cultural - historical symbols.
I once asked the leader of a travel company: Do we - Hanoians - have enough courage to leave a good impression on tourists?
This is not an easy question to answer. Because Hanoi still has many problems, and time is urgent. For example, the first image that catches visitors' eyes is not the relics, but the trees along the road, the purity of the air, the color of the sidewalk. A green capital must start from a neat and neat place, from a trash can with covers, pruning flower trees, and streets not covered by advertisements, tangled electric wires or messy sidewalks.
My friend said: "The role of the people is important. Do not litter, do not release garbage into the lake, do not dump wastewater on the road, do not break trees, or trample flowers. These are not big things, but they are the manifestation of a civilized city".
The big holidays are the time when many tourists will stay at their homes, rent Airbnb, go to restaurants and grocery stores. Small acts such as saying "thank you", "asking for an invitation", maintaining an attitude of expansion, serving at the right price, not being ripped off... are the ways for Hanoi people to "promoting tourism through action".
Remember, a free cup of iced tea, a kind guide, a restaurant that does not increase prices during the holidays - all can make tourists love Hanoi more than any other communication campaign.
Hanoi has once been praised for its "smoothness, gentleness, and quiet dress". But in recent years, some unfriendly images such as spontaneous garbage burning, littering at the lake, talking loudly, arguing with tourists, even ripping off, increasing taxi prices... have somewhat tarnished the brand of "elegant Trang An people".
Let's consider the September 2 holiday as an opportunity to regain that beautiful image - by renovating the house, beautifying the street frontage, cleaning the small alleys, school gates, bus stations, and stations.
Every citizen, especially young people, should learn to "keep calm in the crowd", "not jostle", "not livestream too much, causing traffic obstruction", "keep distance and be polite to foreign tourists".
Travel is an experience, and the most beautiful experience begins with people. On the occasion of September 2 this year, Hanoi has a great opportunity to make its mark not only through solemn rituals, but also through the daily lives of millions of residents of the capital.
Let visitors leave Hanoi, bringing with them the memories of an ancient city that is fresh and crowded without suffocation, ceremonyful but still warm, meticulous and still close.
To do that - no one else, Hanoians must be "tourism ambassadors" in their own home.
Hanoians, along with the capital's tourism industry, should prepare for the historic Autumn Festival.
